FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND

LANGUAGE
JANUARY 2015
SEMESTER

OUMH 1303
ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

STUDENT NAME

: CHE HASNITA BTE. SAAD

MATRIC NUMBER

: 741102025742001

I.C NUMBER

: 741102-02-5742

TEL. NUMBER

E-MAIL

: chehasnita@gmail.com

CENTRE OF LEARNING

: ALOR SETAR, KEDAH

LECTURER NAME

: FADZILAH BT. FADZIL

OUTLINE ENGLISH SPEECH

English, Math and Science's weakness amongst students

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2015

1.0 Introduction
Assalamualaikum. And a very good evening to the school's Headmaster Mr. Abdul Kadif bin
Lebai Shafiai, Head Assistant of Administration Mrs. Besah Binti Jib, Head Assistant of
Student Welfare Mr. Sariat bin Jonus, Head of PTA Mr. Aziz Singah, teachers and parents. It
is a pleasure to be here this evening. Teachers job has always been important to prepare our
children to inherit the world, but it is job for parents as well. PTA, to a large extent, is a close
partner of the school in supporting its education goal.
2.0 Malaysian students Weakness in English, Math and Science
In the last meeting, many parents have expressed their feelings toward the weakness of
students shown in English, Math and Science subjects. Many have expressed ways to dealt
with the issues. And many have pointed fingers on the teachers, saying and I quote, It is the
teachers responsibility. In the era of modernization and the need to master English, Math
and Science have become important; in the sense, it demands people to know English, Math
and Science. But problem persist because many Malaysian using English as a second
language, some (mostly students) only use the language in classrooms or by chance reading.
Most (especially Malays) don't talk in English at home, with our parents and many don't find
it serious about mastering English. Same thing happens to Math and Science. Through
experience how many of us know anything about Algebra? Or the theory of relativity? Or
Gravity? Students learn it as a curricular requirement, but if we ask them whether they enjoy
learning it, the answer is no. And to make matters worse, now Math and Science is taught in
English which doubled the hardship that they have to go through on a day to day basis.
The PPSMI (Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English), when it was
announced that mathematics and science, at both the primary and secondary levels, shall be
taught in English. The move was deemed necessary as it would enable learners to access
information using the multimedia means to gather knowledge in the dynamic fields of
mathematics and science using English, a language in which the two subjects current and
latest knowledge is most commonly available. The move was brilliant; to effectively adept 3
subjects learning into 1. PPSMI is also meant to prepare Malaysians to be globally
competitive. The move was brilliant but the undertaking is no more than talk at best. In this
school alone, most of the English teachers did not master Math and Science, and the teachers
who master Math and Science can only teach in Malay. The parents who want to have Math
and Science taught to their children in English argue from the pragmatic point of English
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being the premier language of commerce, scholarship, and diplomacy. Mastering the English
language will equip their children with an added edge on the job market when they grow up.
But most Malay parents find it otherwise. As for me, I agree that mastering the English
language is important, for reasons beyond those expressed by many parents. But the best way
of learning a foreign language is not by teaching it in Math and Science classes, especially
when the English proficiency of all our Math and Science teachers must be suspect. The
Achilles heel in our nations current educational system must be the shortage of qualified
teachers who are proficient in English themselves. The really competent ones would have
gone in search of their pot of gold in the highly lucrative private tuition industry.
Now the other reason why students find it hard to learn English, Math and Science; I am not
an English teacher but most of the teachers of English stated that students have no interest in
learning English, some due to the teacher's inability to be creative and teaching English using
Bahasa Melayu. As for Math and Science, the difficult terms use in both that are explained
poorly.
3.0 Solutions
It is imperative that English teachers as well as Math and Science teachers must re-educate
themselves into better teachers. Not just better but also fun instructors of their subjects. This
will help boost students understanding as well as makes them find that these 3 subjects is fun.
Native speakers of the English language with the highest academic qualifications must be
recruited from overseas to teach these future teachers of the language in our country. Here,
we must repress the impulse of the New Economic Policy to push through mediocre
graduates. Instead, there must make serious efforts to recruit and pass only the best students,
irrespective of race. Current teachers can also be given intensive refresher course. What is
more important though is perhaps a concerted effort to stock up the library in educational
institutions at all levels.
The truth of the matter is that English is not an easy language to master, and so does Math
and Science. The basic rules of grammar, syntax, and parts of speech in English Language,
rules of differentiate systems and theories in Math and Science simply cannot be grasped as a
kind of second nature without long years of much rote learning and repetitive weekly
exercises. This is the truth and the only truth.

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At the end let me remind us that PTA is not just a partner of the school, it also serves as an
important platform to provide two-way communication between the school and parents. By
saying this, PTA will continue to evaluate the current communication channels on their
effectiveness, striving to further increase and improve the communication network,
facilitating a better learning environment. Parents, I would like to emphasize that your
willingness to take an active part in PTA activities is a vital component of our future success.
4.0 Conclusion
The teaching of the English language, Math and Science is essentially an educational issue,
but unfortunately for Malaysia, the issue has always been infused with too much political
fervor. The current furore nascent in the national conversation on the subject is the result of a
faulty system of decision making. Policy decisions are made always at the power center from
the top down, without much consultation with parents and teachers, who are the real
stakeholders in these matters. As long as education is deemed to be a tool for social
engineering within the political agenda of the ruling class, decision-making will not be
decentralized and deregulated, leaving little room for public participation from the local
community.
Thank you.

5.0 References
1. The Star (2006). Poor English impedes lessons. 10 December.
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2. Abedi, J., Courtney, M., Leon, S., Kao, J. & Azzam, T. (2006). English language
learners and math achievement: A study of opportunity to learn and language
accommodation. Retrieved September 5th, 2008 from http:// web.ebscohost.com
3. Ahmad Faizal Tajuddeen (2006). The Effectiveness of the ETeMS Programme and the
Effects on the Teaching of Mathematics and Science in the Classroom. (Masters
Dissertation, UiTM)
4. Utusan Malaysia Online, (December 13th, 2008). PPSMI Tidak Adil Untuk Pelajar
Luar Bandar Gapena. Retrieved on February 23rd, 2009 from
(http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?
y=2008&dt=1213&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri &pg=dn_10.htm)