Changing needs and strategies in the teaching and learning constructs: some suggestions

Abstract

The growing importance in a significant way, of the teaching and learning of the English language cannot be denied. As of 1st January 2003, two subjects in the Malaysian Curriculum - Mathematics and Science, had to be taught in English, as opposed to before this, when it was taught in Bahasa Malaysia. This took effect for Year One students in primary and secondary schools. What has happened is the medium of instruction has changed from Bahasa Malaysia to English for these two subjects, which rate quite highly in the list of important subjects a student has to study within the Malaysian Education Syllabus. This policy was most likely implemented in the light of globalization, which requires good English fluency in order to achieve communication and interaction at its best. The questions that the writers would like to address are not whether the teachers and students are ready for this major change, but why it is important for students of today to be prepared for the global workforce and how the teaching and learning of English can be made more effectively in today's classroom. Not only is the classroom scenario vastly different from the past but the training of teachers must be geared towards the changing trends and global needs. Finally, policy aspects will be mentioned briefly.