tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post2554621528062273045..comments2007-03-03T13:09:47.524+08:00hcfoonoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-1184382542944269032007-02-01T04:14:00.000+08:002007-02-01T04:14:00.000+08:002007-02-01T04:14:00.000+08:00I guess the government is not confident to set just the English papers now. But they did said that after they have completed the transition, all papers will be in English. We'll see how.hcfoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475528426044188839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-9061643174271085032007-01-31T10:10:00.000+08:002007-01-31T10:10:00.000+08:002007-01-31T10:10:00.000+08:00foo,<br /><br />They should just switch to an English only paper in 1 year's time and force everyone to answer in English. Then they won't have a choice and they would simply have to adapt.Layheonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723965715144436875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-34351184806758770542007-01-31T00:31:00.000+08:002007-01-31T00:31:00.000+08:002007-01-31T00:31:00.000+08:00Hi LH,<br />I agree with you it's quite impossible to make a u-turn now. We'll see what happen after next year.<br /><br />If i'm not wrong, in the recent PMR/SPM, about 60-70% of the students still answered in BM. The problem is some teachers are still guiding the students to answer in BM. Students also believe they could achieve better result by anwering in Malay.hcfoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475528426044188839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-34036137176935278922007-01-30T20:16:00.000+08:002007-01-30T20:16:00.000+08:002007-01-30T20:16:00.000+08:00ghyFoo,<br /><br />Hmm.........persaonally, I don't think they are going to make a U- turn on the policy. So much time and money has been invested in the English Medium policy that it would be a disaster to turn back to the old system. It would be difficult to justify training teachers to teach in English for 5 to 7 years only to turn back the clock in the 8th year. Furthermore, it would be a GREAT LOSS of FACE if they turned back to the old system.<br /><br />BTW, if students are now taught in English, and they are using English textbooks and therefore English terms, then how come there are still students answering their exam questions in BM? Shoudn't they be more familiar with the scientific and mathematical terms in English?<br /><br />Just a thought!<br /><br />LHLayheonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723965715144436875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-43242121667699417962007-01-29T22:36:00.000+08:002007-01-29T22:36:00.000+08:002007-01-29T22:36:00.000+08:00Hi Layheon,<br />Yes, students can answer either in BM or Eng. <br /><br />Majority teachers are teaching in Eng eventhough it has been reported in the newspapers that some teachers are still using BM. <br /><br />This is just the 5th year we use Eng in teaching Sci and Maths. It's not an easy transition for everyone: teachers, students, publishers, etc. <br /><br />BEsides we don't know what's going to happen next when it comes to national election next year. If we have a new Education Minister, who knows, he might reconsider the policy again.hcfoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475528426044188839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-2703878586837100762007-01-28T08:47:00.000+08:002007-01-28T08:47:00.000+08:002007-01-28T08:47:00.000+08:00Hi Foo,<br /><br />Well, I don't really know what to think as I am now teaching in Hong Kong and not Malaysia. But I always find it interesting to compare and contrast..just for the sake of academic discourse.<br /><br />If the ENglish policy in schools has truly benefitted urban kids then proponents of using English as a medium of teaching will receive a boost, as this does (to an extent) prove that using the 2nd language to teach core subjects CAN lead to greater proficiency in it, assuming that OTHER factors (like family support, etc) are ALSO in place.<br /><br />BTW, your PMR kids can also opt for the BM version of maths and science when they sit for the paper, can't they?Layheonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723965715144436875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-52661694225824817952007-01-27T14:00:00.000+08:002007-01-27T14:00:00.000+08:002007-01-27T14:00:00.000+08:00Hi again dbslht,<br /><br />Recently I was back to my hometown in Kuantan. Although Kuantan is a town, but it's a total kinda environment compare to KL or even PJ. <br /><br />I was back there to guide some Form 3 students on how to tackle PMR papers. It seems that the students are having a tough time learning maths and science. Especially science whereby they(btw, they are the less competent students) struggled to understand the objective questions, let alone answering the structured questions. <br /><br />It's kinda sad for me because this is their PMR year. There's a lot of factors to it: family background, lack of teachers enthusiasm to guide them, lack of reading and understanding skills, etc. <br /><br />Although it was a short stint teaching these kids last holiday, I realised that there's a huge gap between rural area and urban area.<br /><br />Some of my students in PJ are just average students but they have no problem in learning Maths and Science in English. Instead, they need a lot of coaching for Bahasa Melayu.<br /><br />So to answer your last question, yes, for urban kids, their English has improved tremendously. But for kids in the rural area, I'm afraid they are having a tough time and still trying to adapt. Well, this is only based on what I see in my students, who are mainly average and less competent students.<br /><br />What do u think?hcfoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475528426044188839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-50441994749914398642007-01-27T07:40:00.000+08:002007-01-27T07:40:00.000+08:002007-01-27T07:40:00.000+08:00Hi Foo,<br /><br />You seem to know the ed. system in Malaysia VERY well, having published so many textbooks.<br /><br />Do you think the policy to teach in English has benefited kids in the urban areas? Do you feel their English has improved over the past 4 years?dbslhthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04636277286420073132noreply@blogger.com