Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://ptsldigital.ukm.my/jspui/handle/123456789/454288
Title: English in multicultural Malaysia: motivating learners towards nation-building
Authors: Thang, Siew Ming
Teoh, Mei Lin
Conference Name: Language And Nationhood : Confronting New Realities : International Conference
Keywords: English language -- Study and teaching
English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers
Conference Date: 2003-12-16
Conference Location: Putrajaya Marriot Hotel, Malaysia
Abstract: There is a general belief that Asian students are primarily motivated by a desire to succeed at university and obtain a well-paid career upon graduation. Kembar et al. (1999) discovered in a series of interviews with Hong Kong students that many statements about career preparation and career relevance showed that they expected the courses to provide both intrinsic and career motivation. Kembar (2000) proposed that these students have internalised a value for a high-status well-paid careers and suggested that these findings are applicable to other Asian contexts. This paper discusses the applicability of the above findings to the Malaysian context in the learning of English as a Second language. While Hong Kong is arguably a homogenous society, what are the dynamics involved when searching for status and successful careers in multicultural Malaysia? In terms of motivation, is it possible to encourage students to excel in their studies and careers not only for personal gain, but also in order to improve Malaysian society as a whole? This research will refer to the findings of a PhD project, which explored distance, and on-campus learners' conceptions of their approaches to studying, and their perceptions of the English Proficiency courses offered by a public university in Malaysia. A mixed approach comprising questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data for the research. Suggestions for motivating learners to move from personal gain to greater social responsibility will be discussed at the end of the presentation.
Pages: 103
Call Number: P35.I554 2003 n.1 sem
Publisher: School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Appears in Collections:Seminar Papers/ Proceedings / Kertas Kerja Seminar/ Prosiding

Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.