Friday, 7 September 2012
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: Intensive course will help students (NST)
By Hussaini Abdul Karim, Shah Alam, Selangor
IN my letter, "Easier to learn it at a young age" (NST, July 11), I wrote that learning a language is easier and better at a young age, when students are in primary school, rather than in university.
Also, it is more effective and economical if remedial programmes are done at primary and secondary school levels, and not at the tertiary level.
In the report "Undergrads to boost their English skills" (NST, June 18), it was stated that the Higher Education Ministry had come up with an English language programme for students entering university to meet the requirements of the working world. This is under a new system that classifies students according to their levels of competency.
The programme, known as "English for Specific Discipline", will be conducted in three tiers: English for Employment, Intensive English (IE) and General English.
However, Higher Education Department Director-General Professor Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said the system would not penalise those with a lower command of the language as the IE course was not part of the credit hours that determine their cumulative grade point average.
Based on that, I warned in my letter that many undergraduates in public universities would not give a hoot about that programme.
Checks carried out in community colleges to find out the number of students who had signed up for a two-month English language crash course confirmed my fears.
It was sad to note that the advice given by Rujhan to new university students with low English competency to enrol for crash courses in community colleges was not taken seriously. Some community colleges did not even get any response.
The Malaysian University English Test (MUET), an entrance requirement for public universities, will determine the classifications when this English learning and teaching system is implemented in September.
Those in bands 5 and 6 are considered competent and prepared for the working world, and are exempted from taking the course.
Students in bands 1 and 2 will attend the IE course to strengthen their basic command of the language. At the end of the course, the students' competency is expected to jump to at least band 3.
Bands 3 and 4 achievers will take up General English to learn communication skills.
In another newspaper report, it was stated that proficiency in English was a prerequisite for enrolment at International Islamic University Malaysia. Many foreign students are taking two years to learn the language just to gain entry.
The IIUM Centre for Languages and Pre-University Academic Development dean Professor Nuraihan Mat Daud said: "Our debates and complaints over the use of English in the education system tend to be fiery and emotional, but take a step back and imagine what it's like for a person with no English background to learn the language in under two years."
This is the reality for foreign students who want to enrol at IIUM. They have up to two years to become competent in English before they can enrol for courses at the university. More importantly though, these students are proving that it can be done.
At the moment, students who sit for MUET, regardless of how well they perform, are considered "qualified" by all public universities and this may render MUET irrelevant.
While the initiative taken by the ministry is commendable, I believe it should only be a temporary measure. I would like to suggest a six-month intensive English language programme for students before they are sent to their respective faculties as an alternative to the English for Specific Discipline programme.
This programme can be conducted without extending the duration students would need to complete their first degrees. It just makes adjustments in the study programmes.
If planned properly, it may not require any additional budget. However, if the intensive programme is approved, there should be no problem in getting additional funds, logistical support or staff to run it.
Again, in this case, students in bands 5 and 6 passes are considered competent and exempted from attending the programme.
Students who go through the programme should be tested at the end of the course, and they must attain a minimum grade to be determined by the ministry and public universities before they are allowed to start their undergraduate courses.
To boost the learning and use of the language, regular English language workshops should be conducted two to four times a year throughout the students' tenure in universities to check their progress.
Attendance in these workshops must be made compulsory.
Besides that, they must also be made to attend seminars, forums, conferences and dialogue sessions at least twice a year to make them use the language more often.
Workshop programmes should include public speaking, reading, play-acting, literature, writing (book reviews, summaries, précis and minutes), appreciation, creative writing, critical thinking and critical analysis.
Credits should be given to students for their attendance and this should contribute to their final cumulative grade point average (CGPA) grades. Students who fail to attend these workshops should be discredited and their final CGPA scores lowered.
When interviewing graduates for jobs, besides their poor oral skills, I find that many cannot even write a simple letter.
As this is the situation, letter and report writing should also be included in the course as well as re-teaching them the basics of the English language such as grammar, spelling and dictation, vocabulary and comprehension. This will boost their listening, reading, writing and understanding skills.
In the corporate world during the pre-Internet days, letters that were written by junior executives were checked by senior executives, assistant managers or managers before they were sent out.
Now, emails are used and, most often, they are not checked before they are sent out.
So, it is important that emails are written properly to protect companies' interests as these may be used as documents and evidence against them in case they get involved in legal cases.
It is, therefore, important that company executives are trained in letter writing and preparing other written documents.
Since it is accepted that reading is a practice that will improve one's command of the language, students must be made to read at least four books a year, and at the end of every quarter, they should be required to write a review of the books.
This is to inculcate the reading habit in them, and this activity should also be conducted with the other important ingredient in improving one's English, writing, and to make sure that students understand what they read.
The test to be conducted at the end of the course should be objective and subjective.
In addition, a practical test that includes an interview to assess their oral skills, reading, understanding and public speaking, for example, should also be conducted. Those who fail these tests must be compelled to re-sit the course and the tests until they attain the grade required.
Some may think that the programme I am proposing, plus the follow-up activities to be carried out in universities, are hard to implement.
However, to achieve the desired results, such a programme is necessary and all obstacles -- physical, emotional and financial -- that may hamper its implementation must be removed.
With regards to employability, which is a point emphasised by the ministry, the English training programme that I am proposing meets most of the requirements of the private sector and the corporate world.
Students in Malaysia go through 13 years of education before they enter university and they are taught the English language as a subject.
However, because of the poor syllabus, poor method of teaching and lack of good English language teachers -- the complaints that we hear all the time since the education policy switched to the current policy since the 1970s -- the general standard of English among our students is considered poor.
Now, it is universities that have to handle the problem and shoulder the burden, which should not be the case had the Education Ministry ensured that a better English language syllabus, sufficient qualified teachers and proper emphasis on English language were given in primary and secondary schools, very much like the earlier days when students' command of the English language was on a par with the best in the world.
The programme that I am proposing is a temporary measure as the onus is on the ministry to come up with an English language syllabus for students from Year One to Form Five.
It is also its responsibility to prepare the infrastructure and make ready support systems required such as language laboratories, teaching aid and supply of qualified and experienced teachers.
When these are done and the "products" are seen, universities may do away with the six-month English language programme.
It may take between five and 15 years to achieve that, and the time taken will depend on how committed the ministries, public universities and students are.
Since learning a language, especially a working language, is better conducted in primary schools than in universities, the Higher Education Ministry, higher learning institutions and the schools division of the Education Ministry should look for a long-term solution by working together, and for the Education Ministry to start the English programme from Year One.
Finally, regardless of the scenario now, we need to check our students' sliding command of English sooner or later, and it is better if it is done sooner.
Read more: ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: Intensive course will help students - Letters to the Editor - New Straits Times
IN my letter, "Easier to learn it at a young age" (NST, July 11), I wrote that learning a language is easier and better at a young age, when students are in primary school, rather than in university.
Learning a language, especially a working language,
is better conducted in primary schools than in universities.
is better conducted in primary schools than in universities.
Also, it is more effective and economical if remedial programmes are done at primary and secondary school levels, and not at the tertiary level.
In the report "Undergrads to boost their English skills" (NST, June 18), it was stated that the Higher Education Ministry had come up with an English language programme for students entering university to meet the requirements of the working world. This is under a new system that classifies students according to their levels of competency.
The programme, known as "English for Specific Discipline", will be conducted in three tiers: English for Employment, Intensive English (IE) and General English.
However, Higher Education Department Director-General Professor Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said the system would not penalise those with a lower command of the language as the IE course was not part of the credit hours that determine their cumulative grade point average.
Based on that, I warned in my letter that many undergraduates in public universities would not give a hoot about that programme.
Checks carried out in community colleges to find out the number of students who had signed up for a two-month English language crash course confirmed my fears.
It was sad to note that the advice given by Rujhan to new university students with low English competency to enrol for crash courses in community colleges was not taken seriously. Some community colleges did not even get any response.
The Malaysian University English Test (MUET), an entrance requirement for public universities, will determine the classifications when this English learning and teaching system is implemented in September.
Those in bands 5 and 6 are considered competent and prepared for the working world, and are exempted from taking the course.
Students in bands 1 and 2 will attend the IE course to strengthen their basic command of the language. At the end of the course, the students' competency is expected to jump to at least band 3.
Bands 3 and 4 achievers will take up General English to learn communication skills.
In another newspaper report, it was stated that proficiency in English was a prerequisite for enrolment at International Islamic University Malaysia. Many foreign students are taking two years to learn the language just to gain entry.
The IIUM Centre for Languages and Pre-University Academic Development dean Professor Nuraihan Mat Daud said: "Our debates and complaints over the use of English in the education system tend to be fiery and emotional, but take a step back and imagine what it's like for a person with no English background to learn the language in under two years."
This is the reality for foreign students who want to enrol at IIUM. They have up to two years to become competent in English before they can enrol for courses at the university. More importantly though, these students are proving that it can be done.
At the moment, students who sit for MUET, regardless of how well they perform, are considered "qualified" by all public universities and this may render MUET irrelevant.
While the initiative taken by the ministry is commendable, I believe it should only be a temporary measure. I would like to suggest a six-month intensive English language programme for students before they are sent to their respective faculties as an alternative to the English for Specific Discipline programme.
This programme can be conducted without extending the duration students would need to complete their first degrees. It just makes adjustments in the study programmes.
If planned properly, it may not require any additional budget. However, if the intensive programme is approved, there should be no problem in getting additional funds, logistical support or staff to run it.
Again, in this case, students in bands 5 and 6 passes are considered competent and exempted from attending the programme.
Students who go through the programme should be tested at the end of the course, and they must attain a minimum grade to be determined by the ministry and public universities before they are allowed to start their undergraduate courses.
To boost the learning and use of the language, regular English language workshops should be conducted two to four times a year throughout the students' tenure in universities to check their progress.
Attendance in these workshops must be made compulsory.
Besides that, they must also be made to attend seminars, forums, conferences and dialogue sessions at least twice a year to make them use the language more often.
Workshop programmes should include public speaking, reading, play-acting, literature, writing (book reviews, summaries, précis and minutes), appreciation, creative writing, critical thinking and critical analysis.
Credits should be given to students for their attendance and this should contribute to their final cumulative grade point average (CGPA) grades. Students who fail to attend these workshops should be discredited and their final CGPA scores lowered.
When interviewing graduates for jobs, besides their poor oral skills, I find that many cannot even write a simple letter.
As this is the situation, letter and report writing should also be included in the course as well as re-teaching them the basics of the English language such as grammar, spelling and dictation, vocabulary and comprehension. This will boost their listening, reading, writing and understanding skills.
In the corporate world during the pre-Internet days, letters that were written by junior executives were checked by senior executives, assistant managers or managers before they were sent out.
Now, emails are used and, most often, they are not checked before they are sent out.
So, it is important that emails are written properly to protect companies' interests as these may be used as documents and evidence against them in case they get involved in legal cases.
It is, therefore, important that company executives are trained in letter writing and preparing other written documents.
Since it is accepted that reading is a practice that will improve one's command of the language, students must be made to read at least four books a year, and at the end of every quarter, they should be required to write a review of the books.
This is to inculcate the reading habit in them, and this activity should also be conducted with the other important ingredient in improving one's English, writing, and to make sure that students understand what they read.
The test to be conducted at the end of the course should be objective and subjective.
In addition, a practical test that includes an interview to assess their oral skills, reading, understanding and public speaking, for example, should also be conducted. Those who fail these tests must be compelled to re-sit the course and the tests until they attain the grade required.
Some may think that the programme I am proposing, plus the follow-up activities to be carried out in universities, are hard to implement.
However, to achieve the desired results, such a programme is necessary and all obstacles -- physical, emotional and financial -- that may hamper its implementation must be removed.
With regards to employability, which is a point emphasised by the ministry, the English training programme that I am proposing meets most of the requirements of the private sector and the corporate world.
Students in Malaysia go through 13 years of education before they enter university and they are taught the English language as a subject.
However, because of the poor syllabus, poor method of teaching and lack of good English language teachers -- the complaints that we hear all the time since the education policy switched to the current policy since the 1970s -- the general standard of English among our students is considered poor.
Now, it is universities that have to handle the problem and shoulder the burden, which should not be the case had the Education Ministry ensured that a better English language syllabus, sufficient qualified teachers and proper emphasis on English language were given in primary and secondary schools, very much like the earlier days when students' command of the English language was on a par with the best in the world.
The programme that I am proposing is a temporary measure as the onus is on the ministry to come up with an English language syllabus for students from Year One to Form Five.
It is also its responsibility to prepare the infrastructure and make ready support systems required such as language laboratories, teaching aid and supply of qualified and experienced teachers.
When these are done and the "products" are seen, universities may do away with the six-month English language programme.
It may take between five and 15 years to achieve that, and the time taken will depend on how committed the ministries, public universities and students are.
Since learning a language, especially a working language, is better conducted in primary schools than in universities, the Higher Education Ministry, higher learning institutions and the schools division of the Education Ministry should look for a long-term solution by working together, and for the Education Ministry to start the English programme from Year One.
Finally, regardless of the scenario now, we need to check our students' sliding command of English sooner or later, and it is better if it is done sooner.
Read more: ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: Intensive course will help students - Letters to the Editor - New Straits Times
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Monday, 16 May 2011
Refresher
Find new motivation with this ...
Then be reminded by this ...
And face all challenges knowing this...
The Art of Teaching
View more presentations from tarannau20
Then be reminded by this ...
What Makes A Good Teacher
View more presentations from M Nagaraju
And face all challenges knowing this...
What Teachers Make
View more webinars from Scott Schwertly
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Kolb: The Experiential Learning Cycle
by Clara Davies
Introduction
Reflective practice is important to the development of lecturers as professionals as it enables us to learn from our experiences of teaching and facilitating student learning. Developing reflective practice means developing ways of reviewing our own teaching so that it becomes a routine and a process by which we might continuously develop. Kolb developed a theory of experiential learning that can give us a useful model by which to develop our practice. This is called The Kolb Cycle, The Learning Cycle or The Experiential Learning Cycle. The cycle comprises four different stages of learning from experience and can be entered at any point but all stages must be followed in sequence for successful learning to take place. The Learning Cycle suggests that it is not sufficient to have an experience in order to learn. It is necessary to reflect on the experience to make generalisations and formulate concepts which can then be applied to new situations. This learning must then be tested out in new situations. The learner must make the link between the theory and action by planning, acting out, reflecting and relating it back to the theory.
Concrete Experience (doing / having an experience)
In the case of the PGCLTHE, the 'Concrete Experience' is the 'doing' component which derives from the content and process of the PGCLTHE programme - through attending the workshops or, in the case of the on-line module, your reading of the on-line learning materials - together with your actual experience of teaching in the classroom plus your other teaching duties and practices. It may also derive from your own experience of being a student.
Reflective Observation (reviewing / reflecting on the experience)
The 'Reflective Observation' element stems from your analysis and judgements of events and the discussion about the learning and teaching that you engage in with your mentor, colleagues and fellow PGCLTHE participants. People naturally reflect on their experiences of teaching, particularly when they are new to it and less confident in their abilities or when an experience has been painful. We've all come out of lectures saying to ourselves 'that went well or badly', in an intuitive sense. This might be termed 'common-sense reflection'. But how do we know it was good or bad and what was good or bad about it? We need to articulate our reflections in some systematic way so that we remember what we thought and build on that experience for next time.
For example this might be through your own self-reflections or evaluations after the event through keeping a log or journal. It may also include student feedback, peer observation of teaching (e.g. comments made by your mentor or colleague), moderation of assessments, external examiner comments, discussions with your mentor or a fellow participant on the PGCLTHE. All of these can be brought together to give an overall reflection on your practice.
Reflection in itself, though, is insufficient to promote learning and professional development. Twenty years' experience may consist of twenty years teaching the same content in the same way! Unless we act on our reflections of ourselves and on the opinions of others then no development takes place.
Abstract Conceptualisation (concluding / learning from the experience)
In order to plan what we would do differently next time, we need - in addition to our reflections on our experience - to be informed by educational theory e.g. through readings of relevant literature on teaching and learning or by attending staff development or other activities. Reflection is therefore a middle ground that brings together theories and the analysis of past action. It allows us to come to conclusions about our practice - 'Abstract Conceptualism'.
Active Experimentation (planning / trying out what you have learned)
The conclusions we formed from our 'Abstract Conceptualisation' stage then form the basis by which we can plan changes - 'Active Experimentation'. 'Active Experimentation' then starts the cycle again when we implement those changes in our teaching practice to generate another concrete experience which is then followed by reflection and review to form conclusions about the effectiveness of those changes.
References
Kolb D.A. (1984) 'Experiential Learning experience as a source of learning and development', New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Boud D, Keogh R and Walker D (1985) 'Reflection: Turning Experience in to Learning', London: Kogan Page
Brockbank A and McGill I (1998) 'Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education', Buckingham: SHRE/Open University Press
Cowan J (1998) 'On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher Reflection in Action', SRHE/OU
Moon J (1999a) 'Reflection in Learning and Professional Development Theory and Practice', London: Kogan Page
Schon D (1991) 'The Reflective Practitioner How Professionals Think in Action', London: Avebury
Introduction
Reflective practice is important to the development of lecturers as professionals as it enables us to learn from our experiences of teaching and facilitating student learning. Developing reflective practice means developing ways of reviewing our own teaching so that it becomes a routine and a process by which we might continuously develop. Kolb developed a theory of experiential learning that can give us a useful model by which to develop our practice. This is called The Kolb Cycle, The Learning Cycle or The Experiential Learning Cycle. The cycle comprises four different stages of learning from experience and can be entered at any point but all stages must be followed in sequence for successful learning to take place. The Learning Cycle suggests that it is not sufficient to have an experience in order to learn. It is necessary to reflect on the experience to make generalisations and formulate concepts which can then be applied to new situations. This learning must then be tested out in new situations. The learner must make the link between the theory and action by planning, acting out, reflecting and relating it back to the theory.
Concrete Experience (doing / having an experience)
In the case of the PGCLTHE, the 'Concrete Experience' is the 'doing' component which derives from the content and process of the PGCLTHE programme - through attending the workshops or, in the case of the on-line module, your reading of the on-line learning materials - together with your actual experience of teaching in the classroom plus your other teaching duties and practices. It may also derive from your own experience of being a student.
Reflective Observation (reviewing / reflecting on the experience)
The 'Reflective Observation' element stems from your analysis and judgements of events and the discussion about the learning and teaching that you engage in with your mentor, colleagues and fellow PGCLTHE participants. People naturally reflect on their experiences of teaching, particularly when they are new to it and less confident in their abilities or when an experience has been painful. We've all come out of lectures saying to ourselves 'that went well or badly', in an intuitive sense. This might be termed 'common-sense reflection'. But how do we know it was good or bad and what was good or bad about it? We need to articulate our reflections in some systematic way so that we remember what we thought and build on that experience for next time.
For example this might be through your own self-reflections or evaluations after the event through keeping a log or journal. It may also include student feedback, peer observation of teaching (e.g. comments made by your mentor or colleague), moderation of assessments, external examiner comments, discussions with your mentor or a fellow participant on the PGCLTHE. All of these can be brought together to give an overall reflection on your practice.
Reflection in itself, though, is insufficient to promote learning and professional development. Twenty years' experience may consist of twenty years teaching the same content in the same way! Unless we act on our reflections of ourselves and on the opinions of others then no development takes place.
Abstract Conceptualisation (concluding / learning from the experience)
In order to plan what we would do differently next time, we need - in addition to our reflections on our experience - to be informed by educational theory e.g. through readings of relevant literature on teaching and learning or by attending staff development or other activities. Reflection is therefore a middle ground that brings together theories and the analysis of past action. It allows us to come to conclusions about our practice - 'Abstract Conceptualism'.
Active Experimentation (planning / trying out what you have learned)
The conclusions we formed from our 'Abstract Conceptualisation' stage then form the basis by which we can plan changes - 'Active Experimentation'. 'Active Experimentation' then starts the cycle again when we implement those changes in our teaching practice to generate another concrete experience which is then followed by reflection and review to form conclusions about the effectiveness of those changes.
References
Kolb D.A. (1984) 'Experiential Learning experience as a source of learning and development', New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Boud D, Keogh R and Walker D (1985) 'Reflection: Turning Experience in to Learning', London: Kogan Page
Brockbank A and McGill I (1998) 'Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education', Buckingham: SHRE/Open University Press
Cowan J (1998) 'On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher Reflection in Action', SRHE/OU
Moon J (1999a) 'Reflection in Learning and Professional Development Theory and Practice', London: Kogan Page
Schon D (1991) 'The Reflective Practitioner How Professionals Think in Action', London: Avebury
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)