Mapping a learning journey that is fun

MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
Mapping a learning journey that is fun
2010/05/03

Understanding the importance of the English language and seeking to make learning an enriching and enjoyable experience, the Education Ministry has embarked on a mission to revamp the teaching module, writes MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
THE importance of English as an international language is not disputed.

Everyone agrees, even those who argue for Bahasa Malaysia to be recognised and used as the pre-eminent language, that proficiency in English is an asset. The question is not how important English is but how best it can and should be taught in our schools so that our pupils will be able to function effectively and confidently in this international language.

In order to achieve this goal, we need to lay a strong English language foundation in our primary schools. Before deciding on any curriculum initiatives, a number of questions have to be answered.

- Is there a need to change our English curriculum? If so, how?

- How should English be taught so that our pupils will not only learn but enjoy learning this language inside the classroom as well as outside?
- What about the English language itself? What are the developments in the language that should be accommodated in any curriculum transformation? Should we include all the different varieties of English (the so-called "New Englishes") in our curriculum?

In mapping out the curriculum, the Education Ministry engaged stakeholders (including teachers, parents, lecturers, students) in discussions and consulted local as well as foreign English education experts. It was decided that the six-year primary English language programme should achieve five objectives.

Pupils should be able to:

- Communicate confidently and appropriately in formal and informal situations;

- Read and comprehend English texts for information and enjoyment;

- Write using appropriate language, style and form through different media;

- Appreciate and understand English language creative works for enjoyment; and,

- Use correct rules of grammar in their spoken or written language.

The overarching goal of the curriculum is to create pupils who are articulate, confident, creative and of good character. We believe that this can be realised only if we engage our pupils in a language programme that is fun, meaningful and purposeful.

It has to be admitted that the classroom is not the most natural setting for enjoyable learning and meaningful fun interaction between children. Arranging 30 to 50 pupils in rows may be an economical way of managing a class, but it cannot ensure the focus and attention of every individual child. Hence, teachers have to find creative ways to engage their pupils, and nothing works like fun!

Only by making learning English fun can we generate enough interest in our pupils to want to acquire the language on their own, even when outside school. Teachers are reminded that it is "learning work" and not "busy work" that facilitates and enhances learning. Making children write a sentence 500 times without purpose or understanding is busy work that may keep them out of mischief for a while but it does not optimise learning. Learning work requires children to challenge themselves to improve intellectually and emotionally.

In order to have a balanced treatment of all the language skills, grammar and vocabulary, the proposed new curriculum is organised into five modules: listening and speaking, reading, writing, language arts, and grammar (introduced in Year Three).

The inclusion of Language Arts is aimed at providing opportunities for pupils to participate in fun activities such as singing, reciting rhymes or poems, acting in simple plays, or listening to stories. This module also encourages group work that helps develop creativity and social skills such as collaboration and cooperation.

In the teaching of language skills, the new English curriculum emphasises the need for pupils to have a solid foundation for further development in the language. This back-to-basics approach aims to provide learners with a set of basic skills necessary for them to acquire higher order skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Competent readers have a keen phonemic awareness, or the tacit knowledge of the relationship between letters and their sounds. Letter/sound recognition serves as a scaffold to help pupils become independent learners. It gives them confidence when encountering new words.

The mastery of reading skills is a sure way of making progress in a language.

The ministry is aware that there is a wide range of learner backgrounds among our pupils. There are pupils who have received preschool education and, therefore, may have had exposure to basic reading and writing training.

There are those who have never set foot in a kindergarten before entering Year One. Some children have already begun reading in English, while others need training in reading from scratch. We also have children from English-speaking homes and those to whom English is a foreign language.

To meet the varied needs of these different groups, the curriculum is modular so that teachers may pace the teaching of each language skill or language focus according to the level of performance of their pupils. Hence, pupils who are better at reading but weaker in writing may proceed faster in the reading module and slower in writing.

This learner-centric approach also adopts standard British English as the model for the classroom. The choice makes historical, pedagogical and logistical sense. The easy availability of reference material in this variety means teachers have access to a rich resource for self-improvement.

As users of English as a second language, most of our teachers are more accurately described as advanced learners of the language. With an identified model, they will be better able to focus on what they need to be better language models to their pupils.

The younger generation today are natives of the information and communication technology world. Thus, the new curriculum allows for the meaningful integration of new technologies in the language classroom. For example, during lessons, opportunities are provided for pupils to plan and present their work using new information and communication technologies.

We have seen how young children are able to interpret and express their understanding of stories, poems or songs using Microsoft programmes such as Powerpoint or Movie Maker.

We must also remember that teaching is a moral enterprise. The need to inculcate good moral values is an integral part of a teacher's job. Teachers should interact with their children in an instructive and constructive manner so that their charges may grow to become responsible, confident and productive.

Finally, we must not forget that a curriculum is a map that has to be translated into a rich learning journey. Our challenge is not just to ensure that our pupils reach the desired destination. We owe it to our pupils to make this learning journey enriching, exciting and enjoyable.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is the deputy prime minister and education minister