Kudos to English camp

LAST week, I joined a Mega Trenglish Camp (MTC) organised and sponsored by Petronas in collaboration with the Terengganu Foundation and state education department.

This collaborative effort helps promote English as a fun and important language to learn. This year, 210 Form Four students from schools in the state participated.

These students came from different socio-economic backgrounds and had different levels of language proficiency, interests and talents.

Regardless, they shared unforgettable moments as they engaged in and enjoyed activities prepared and facilitated by Terengganu Hired English Language Personnel (T-HELP).

MTC is a good annual programme as it helps students experience an English-speaking environment.

This programme also encourages cooperative and interdependent learning as students complete tasks, solve problems, perform, share and present ideas in groups.

As students prepare for their drama presentations, they learn to work effectively in groups and create instant chemistry with their new friends as they wish for everyone to enjoy their performance.

As a result, their entertaining and creative performances, as well as their excellent teamwork, take audiences by surprise, given the fact that they are given a limited time to practise.

For the chain storytelling activity, students showcase their confidence and courage by presenting their ideas before an audience. This activity is carried out like debate competitions, except that there are more speakers in a team and they need to take turns to continue the story told by their opponent instead of presenting arguments.

This activity tests the students’ ability to communicate effectively and think quickly, critically and creatively to produce smart, witty and interesting storylines.