Positive impact in the classroom
Youths reap rewards from cooperative effort between schools and corporations.
K. SISVINRAJ never thought that learning English with the newspapers could be fun and exciting until he met The Star’s Newspaperin-Education (Star-NiE) freelance consultant trainer Shyamala Sankaran.
The Form Four student from SMK Jalan Kota Tinggi, Kluang, Johor, said that English is his favourite subject but it is sometimes difficult for him to keep his focus when learning the language.
“I did not expect the workshop to be this much fun when I walked into the classroom this morning.
“Not only did I get to improve my grammar and vocabulary, I also got to play fun games with my classmates,” he said.
Sisvinraj was among 40 Form Four students from SMK Jalan Kota Tinggi who attended Star-NiE’s workshop recently.
The two-hour workshop, conducted by Shyamala, was sponsored by MagnumCares, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) unit of the Magnum Group (Magnum).
Under the umbrella of MagnumCares, various charitable programmes that are sustainable are organised to reach out to the community.
Under the English for Better Opportunities (EBO) flagship helmed by Star Media Group, MagnumCares joins hands with the media giant to champion using the English daily to engage students more effectively in active learning while promoting both their knowledge of the world and their skills as readers and critical thinkers.
Magnum Group CSR head Beh Swan Swan said that languages can be taught and conducted in a more interesting manner so that the students will be able to grasp and remember better.
“Having a good command of the English language is very useful for the youths.
“They are brought up in an era of being connected globally and the English language is the popular language of choice used,” she said.
Another student attending the workshop was Siti Zaidatul Akmah Zaidi Mohd Yazid, who said that the NiE workshop allowed her to uncover all the fun ways she could use to improve her English.
“English is not my favourite subject but I know it is important for me to master the language as it will help me communicate better with others.
“Madam Shyamala was very encouraging as she reminded us that the most important thing in learning is to never stop trying,” she said.
Student Andy Siah said that his favourite part of the workshop was a scavenger hunt activity where they had to look for words in The Star newspapers that fit the theme of fashion.
“It made me realise that one word could be used in many ways as long as we are creative and brave enough to use the language.
“I hope that we can have more of such activities in the classroom as it is not only fun but helpful in learning better,” he said.
English teacher M. Annusha said that she was glad her students enjoyed the workshop, adding that she hoped they gained more knowledge of the language.
“A few years ago, I attended a workshop for teachers by Shyamala when I was teaching in another school in Pasir Gudang.
“I have experienced first-hand how interesting her workshop could be and I am glad my students got to experience it here,” she said.
Annusha added that she hoped to incorporate the use of the newspapers, including the NiE pullouts, in her classrooms after this.
“I think it will be a fun way for them to enjoy the language as the newspapers are very versatile.
“They will also know more about the happenings around them. This will inspire them to be curious about the world,” she said.
The NiE programme is an international effort to educate young people on literacy.
Research by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) Foundation has found that when newspapers are used effectively in the classroom, test scores go up!
The Star’s NiE programme promotes the use of newspapers as an English language educational resource. The basic concept is to offer teachers current materials and training in the many ways to use newspapers in the classroom.
Written by a team of experienced English language specialists, the Star-NiE pullouts are packed with engaging hands-on newspaper activities for the classroom. With 33 issues published per year, the 12-page NiE pullout presents activities divided into elementary, intermediate and advanced levels to suit students’ English language proficiency.
The pullout is syllabus-based and endorsed by the Education Ministry.
For details on the Star-NiE school sponsorship programme, call The Star’s Customer Care Unit at 1300 88 7827 from Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm).