Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms

The English for Teaching Mathematics and Science (ETeMS) policy was reversed in 2012 citing the reason that about 40% of the teachers were still using Malay in the ETeMS classroom hence, affecting the successful implementation of ETeMS. The quality of English used by the 60% and the other 40% especi...

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Main Author:	Asiah Mohd Sharif
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Penerbit UKM 2013
Online Access:	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/1/3175-6803-1-SM.pdf

id	ukm-6326
recordtype	eprints
spelling	ukm-63262016-12-14T06:40:52Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/ Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms Asiah Mohd Sharif, The English for Teaching Mathematics and Science (ETeMS) policy was reversed in 2012 citing the reason that about 40% of the teachers were still using Malay in the ETeMS classroom hence, affecting the successful implementation of ETeMS. The quality of English used by the 60% and the other 40% especially in the rural areas motivates this study. Data for this investigation was obtained from three English teachers who have limited proficiency. These limited English proficiency (LEP) teachers teach science through English in a rural primary school in Malaysia. Transcripts of nine lessons, classroom observations and teacher interviews were gathered. The findings reveal that the English language used by the LEP teachers was simple and frequently riddled with errors which resulted in distortion of content taught. Errors were linked to negative transfers from Bahasa Melayu, teachers’ interlanguage, unsuccessful guesswork and memorizing words without full understanding of meaning. The LEP teachers therefore, made poor models for their students. The researcher concludes that even if the LEP teachers had striven to teach completely in English, the policy may have been seen to be implemented, but the quality of classroom discourse and content taught would have been problematic. Penerbit UKM 2013-05 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/1/3175-6803-1-SM.pdf Asiah Mohd Sharif, (2013) Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms. GEMA: Online Journal of Language Studies, 13 (2). pp. 65-80. ISSN 1675-8021 http://www.ukm.my/ppbl/Gema/gemahome.html
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
building	UKM Institutional Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
description	The English for Teaching Mathematics and Science (ETeMS) policy was reversed in 2012 citing the reason that about 40% of the teachers were still using Malay in the ETeMS classroom hence, affecting the successful implementation of ETeMS. The quality of English used by the 60% and the other 40% especially in the rural areas motivates this study. Data for this investigation was obtained from three English teachers who have limited proficiency. These limited English proficiency (LEP) teachers teach science through English in a rural primary school in Malaysia. Transcripts of nine lessons, classroom observations and teacher interviews were gathered. The findings reveal that the English language used by the LEP teachers was simple and frequently riddled with errors which resulted in distortion of content taught. Errors were linked to negative transfers from Bahasa Melayu, teachers’ interlanguage, unsuccessful guesswork and memorizing words without full understanding of meaning. The LEP teachers therefore, made poor models for their students. The researcher concludes that even if the LEP teachers had striven to teach completely in English, the policy may have been seen to be implemented, but the quality of classroom discourse and content taught would have been problematic.
format	Article
author	Asiah Mohd Sharif,
spellingShingle	Asiah Mohd Sharif, Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms
author_facet	Asiah Mohd Sharif,
author_sort	Asiah Mohd Sharif,
title	Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms
title_short	Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms
title_full	Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms
title_fullStr	Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms
title_full_unstemmed	Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms
title_sort	limited proficiency english teachers’ language use in science classrooms
publisher	Penerbit UKM
publishDate	2013
url	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6326/1/3175-6803-1-SM.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T19:46:36Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T19:46:36Z
_version_	1777405941545697280

Limited proficiency English teachers’ language use in science classrooms

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