OCT 19 you review with seductiveness a ongoing discuss per PPSMI as published in many dailies' 'Letters to a Editor' section.
Perhaps you am stretching it a bit by job it a discuss when it is transparent which usually a single side's arguments have been prominent, as good as they have been a views of a proponents of PPSMI.
Do concede me to give an opposing view.
From what you accumulate by celebration of a mass a countless articles, letters as good as even SMSs espousing a virtue of PPSMI, you can presupposition which a proponent of this process formed their await upon TWO main arguments, which have been -
ONE - a declining customary upon English amongst graduates in this nation which sincerely affects their employability in a stream fast relocating universe where English is a de facto lingua franca, and
TWO - a probability of being left during a behind of in a margin of Science as good as Mathematics due to lack of references in Bahasa Melayu as good as their abundance in English.
Firstly, a paint as good as cry about a process being revoked surprises me.
It is startling because those relatives who painstakingly paint themselves as 'representing ALL relatives in Malaysia' spent their blood, persperate as good as tears perplexing to defend a nation's interests, have been actually barking up a wrong tree.
Why do you contend this?
It is my humblest opinion which for a single to be proficient in English, a single has to sense English - elementary as good as clear.
I come from a time where my English teachers made a denunciation a fun as good as interesting theme to sense as good as experience, where interacting as good as communicating in a denunciation was a sequence of a day by 'Speaker's Corners' as good as debates whilst guidance a fine nuances of a denunciation by - surprise! - examination TV, a renouned "X-Files" in particular.
Where you review countless books as good as had written countless articles, where book fa! irs were a thing to demeanour forward to as good as a day a articles as good as letters were published in English dailies as good as magazines were many cherished of all.
We spent hours conversing tyro to teacher as good as amongst us students ourselves, where vocalization up as good as expressing oneself around a denunciation was very most expected. It helped being in a boarding propagandize where you had a day in a week where you can usually verbalise in English or risked being fined by a prefects.
All this experience behind then have put me as good as my brethrens in great stead with a English.
Analysing all this, it is critical to note which a real key to a success with a denunciation was a peculiarity of those responsible in guiding us. In no approach would you deny which you were lucky in which aspect.
And for which you am thoroughly grateful.
This is a exact reason why you deem a PPSMI-proponents as barking up a wrong tree - instead of pushing for a Government to revive a peculiarity of English guidance in a preparation system, they have been actually fighting to revive a usage of English in dual rarely technical subjects. And whilst during it with controversial peculiarity of English too.
I hold it is a right as citizens to direct peculiarity preparation complement for a children. What you have right divided have been obviously substandard, judging by a concerns voiced by employers per a peculiarity of a graduates when conversing in a language.
Therefore direct it you should. Demand which a sum rethink have been done of a approach English is currently taught in classrooms. Demand which a teachers put in place have been of exceptional extraction as good as themselves being clever in a language. Demand which usually those passionate in teaching have been being handed a responsibility by upgrading a teaching profession to a turn of respect which it deserves.
But indeed those who fight for PPSMI as good as focusing their effort upon something totally ir! relevant , which in a finish withdrawal a Government getting divided with it scott-free.
Irrelevant you say? you stand by my earlier idea - sense English to master English.
How could a single seriously hold which guidance dual rarely technical= subjects in Science as good as Mathematics can sufficiently urge a student's bravery in which language?
By going a PPSMI approach what you get have been pupils who can spew out Scientific as good as Mathematical jargons in English during ease, whilst struggling to string words into a correct sentence as good as actually using them in a conversation.
While there were those who excelled in both subjects during a PPSMI days, it is safe to note which those pupils were already proficient in English BEFORE guidance Science as good as Mathematics in a language. It is due to this inclination which they excel, not which they benefit inclination due to PPSMI.
Those championing PPSMI have been mostly good prepared English-speaking urban dwellers during least in a middle difficulty criteria. These people, who have been creation such paint as good as cry per a process revocation, have been those who have been means to prepare their young kids adequately by sending them to English-medium kindergartens as good as themselves conversing in a denunciation during home.
Thus it is not startling which pupils from these families already have a inclination in place to plunge into a rigors of PPSMI.
While you am not undermining their effort in scheming their own children, do spare a thought to those relatives incompetent to present similar preparations to their children. you am talking about those living next a poverty line, those from a kampungs, those families who have never spoken a word of English in their complete life.
And to expect their young kids to attend their first day of propagandize as good as sense not one, but 3 subjects in English? It is just plain as good as elementary murder!
Thus greatfully by all means, stop being! selfish .
And this speak about us lagging in a margin of Science as good as Mathematics due to a lack of English-proficiency?
I contend if as good as when English is no some-more a problem to us, then a sky is a limit. When a bravery is high as good as ability is strong, guidance as good as mastering any alternative theme where a medium of instruction is English will be a piece of cake.
Thus, ladies as good as gentleman of PAGE as good as whatnots, direct what is rightfully ours. Channel your efforts towards pushing a government to yield what is expected of them, as good as not towards a re-establishment of a process which was hardly a camber during its pregnancy as good as haphazard in its implementation.
A believer whom you was in discussion before stated which when a most appropriate is out of reach, then settling for a common choice is a most appropriate you can do.
Let me discuss it you this - PPSMI is not even an choice value considering. Why solve when as citizens you deserve more. Definitely you deserve better.
Settling is for losers. you hold PAGE as good as alternative proponents will not cruise themselves belonging to this category.
Fight for your cause, scream all you want, but my dear citizens, do not let what is rightfully ours taken divided as good as replaced with something substandard, abandoned of substance, as good as dubious during best.
The round is in YOUR court. you rest my case.
* Feizrul Nor Bin Nurbi reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is a personal opinion of a writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse a view unless specified.
1 comment:
"We spent hours conversing student to teacher and amongst us students ourselves, where speaking up and expressing oneself via the language was very much expected. It helped being in a boarding school where we had a day in a week where we can only speak in English or risked being fined by the prefects."
I doubt this will work with 21st century kids when people are more aware of language diversity which is a world issue. The fears of English linguists who sympathize with native-language guardians like Robert Phillipson, David Graddol and Nicholas Ostler, who acknowledge that there is some language-shifting to English at the expanse of native languages, have truly manifested in Malaysia.
BTW, If you read more Malay-language alternative media, you'll see a lot of anti-PPSMI commentaries overwhelming pro-PPSMI ones. One blog remarked that Utusan never published one anti-PPSMI reader's letter throughout the first seven years of its implementation.
ON ANOTHER NOTE: Watching Disney film clips in multiple languages has enlightened me to think that English isn't everything in this world and people all around are trying to keep their languages alive in the wave of globalization. Growing up watching Mickey Mouse speak in French/German/Swedish/Finnish/Chinese/Hindi doesn't stop them from preparing for an English-centric tertiary education. Sheesh, if we watch American cartoons dubbed in BM instead of English since advent of TV instead of only recently, we the people who leave comments be more level-headed in discussing languages now.
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