Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools

This article elucidates the implementation of English as a second language (ESL) learning and teaching programmes at the primary school level, spanning three decades of English language education (ELE) in Malaysia, its reform initiatives as well as the arising realities. The realities highlighted...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Hazita Azman
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016
Online Access:	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/1/13527-44195-1-PB.pdf

id	ukm-10728
recordtype	eprints
spelling	ukm-107282017-10-07T17:00:27Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/ Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools Hazita Azman, This article elucidates the implementation of English as a second language (ESL) learning and teaching programmes at the primary school level, spanning three decades of English language education (ELE) in Malaysia, its reform initiatives as well as the arising realities. The realities highlighted underscore the paradoxical challenges experienced with each ELE reform that are introduced, arising from the multilingual and plural socio-political circumstances of the country. In particular, among recent reforms that are examined, is the consequence that the new Primary School Standards-Based Curriculum for English language education (SBELC), which was introduced in 2011, has on the literacy performance of year three pupils when they sit for the LINUS LBI (literacy and Numeracy Screening for English Literacy) test, and the extent to which the English teachers and these young learners are ready to embrace the new curriculum. Concurrently, a review of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) as well as the Malaysia English Language Roadmap (2015-2025), is undertaken and their implications for yet another major language in education reform juxtaposed against existing problems related to teacher’s language proficiency, inadequate trained and skilled teachers, mismatch between curriculum and practices, limited language exposure, and most significantly, the foreboding view of the English language as a threat towards maintaining multilingual plurality, are duly extrapolated. By way of conclusion, this article draws upon selected innovative practices to illustrate the creative pathways that have emerged from these multifarious circumstances and have ironically shown potential in strengthening the young learners’ English language proficiency, notwithstanding identified impeding factors. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/1/13527-44195-1-PB.pdf Hazita Azman, (2016) Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools. 3L; Language,Linguistics and Literature,The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 22 (3). pp. 65-78. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/872
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
building	UKM Institutional Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
description	This article elucidates the implementation of English as a second language (ESL) learning and teaching programmes at the primary school level, spanning three decades of English language education (ELE) in Malaysia, its reform initiatives as well as the arising realities. The realities highlighted underscore the paradoxical challenges experienced with each ELE reform that are introduced, arising from the multilingual and plural socio-political circumstances of the country. In particular, among recent reforms that are examined, is the consequence that the new Primary School Standards-Based Curriculum for English language education (SBELC), which was introduced in 2011, has on the literacy performance of year three pupils when they sit for the LINUS LBI (literacy and Numeracy Screening for English Literacy) test, and the extent to which the English teachers and these young learners are ready to embrace the new curriculum. Concurrently, a review of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) as well as the Malaysia English Language Roadmap (2015-2025), is undertaken and their implications for yet another major language in education reform juxtaposed against existing problems related to teacher’s language proficiency, inadequate trained and skilled teachers, mismatch between curriculum and practices, limited language exposure, and most significantly, the foreboding view of the English language as a threat towards maintaining multilingual plurality, are duly extrapolated. By way of conclusion, this article draws upon selected innovative practices to illustrate the creative pathways that have emerged from these multifarious circumstances and have ironically shown potential in strengthening the young learners’ English language proficiency, notwithstanding identified impeding factors.
format	Article
author	Hazita Azman,
spellingShingle	Hazita Azman, Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools
author_facet	Hazita Azman,
author_sort	Hazita Azman,
title	Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools
title_short	Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools
title_full	Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools
title_fullStr	Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools
title_full_unstemmed	Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools
title_sort	implementation and challenges of english language education reform in malaysian primary schools
publisher	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
publishDate	2016
url	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/1/13527-44195-1-PB.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T19:58:18Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T19:58:18Z
_version_	1777406677767684096

Implementation and challenges of English language education reform in Malaysian primary schools

Similar Items