To English or not to English, That is the Question

Every now and then, and again, I get asked about the following things: the state of the English language among our students, what I think of the policy of teaching science and mathematics in Malay, the demand to bring back the teaching of science and mathematics in English, and an array of related questions. Usually it is to start a discussion or an argument but it seems to me that all this is somewhat futile. Let me explain why.

1. When I was in school, I learnt science and mathematics in Malay and so my friends who are not professionals in science and mathematically related fields. So, apparently, they had no problems shifting from Malay to English in handling these subjects when they went for further studies, even overseas.
   1. Of course, you cannot say what I said without the other person countering with some something. Their response are often along these lines:
      1. we had English speaking teachers who translated the terms for us
      2. we already spoke English better than they do today
      3. we weren't so bent against English back then
2. Our teachers are not capable of teaching science and mathematics in English. This is a fact. There are those who will deny it to the cows come home, take a shower, get ready for bed and turn in, but if we are to be honest about it, this fact is real. Before they changed the policy to revert back to Malay, I was in discussions with a friend who represented the science and mathematics teachers at her school to come up with an English language course beyond whatever English language enhancement programmes that the ministry was already doing for them at the time. The reason was simple, they could not cope with teaching science and mathematics in English. These were teachers in a 'elite' school in KL. If they were feeling the pressure and were unable to cope with it, how do you think the teachers in Kampung Hutan Baru Ulu Dalam Tambahan (does that place exist?) or some place like that were doing?

When the policy was to teach in English and during the reversion, my daughters were in school and I had the opportunity to listen to what their peers had to say about the subject. Many were struggling to cope. Those who already spoke English were not feeling any different because they were just trying to cope with the concepts, formulae and conventions, but those whose English mastery left much to be desired were having a hard time because they were also trying hard to master the language used to teach them. It may be unknown to ministry officers but when I went to school and walked slowly past classes that were in session, I was a PIBG committee member so this was not an unusual thing, I saw a few science and mathematics classes that were basically taught in Malay. I understand that to the officials in Olympus,... ops sorry, Putrajaya, this was frowned upon but I commend these teachers that I saw because I noticed that their students were not grasping the concepts when they taught in English. Now, I observed that there were two causes for this, commonly,

1. the students could not understand what the teachers were saying in English,

It was rather sad to see classes of uncomprehending faces looking at their teachers who were valiantly trying to convey complex ideas in a language that they knew was almost alien to many of their students.

2. the teachers' English was almost incomprehensible.

It was even sadder to listen to some of these teachers trying to express these ideas and concepts in a language that they dare not even use outside that classroom. Unless of course if they were interviewed for the media when you will hear random English words thrown in for good measure to create an illusion that “they sound silly when they speak in Malay” (remember that one?).

Well, now they have this program that proposes to enhance the level of English mastery among the teachers run and taught by Westerners, Caucasian mostly. Already, I have heard many things about this program. One complaint, I got from some teacher-friends of mine is that these instructors were selected for the colour of their skin and the naïve assumption that English is their mother tongue without them having actual credentials to teach the language. How true that is? I do not know. I am only reporting what my friends tell me. I'll leave that up to those responsible for the program to verify. We'll just have to wait and see how that program will progress.

On a more practical front, I am puzzled by the love-hate relationship that we have with the English language. On the one hand, we covert a decent mastery of it while on the the other hand, we go up in arms in mouth-frothing nationalistic fury whenever there is mention of plans to force some of us to learn it better.

I have even heard some saying that learning the English language will erode our ethnic identity, religious conviction and loyalty to the nation. Worse still, I heard this only recently. I don't know where they get these demented ideas. If anything the mastery of the English language will open up the world for the individual. Suddenly, the individual Malaysian will be able to access an overwhelmingly larger portion of the world's knowledge directly. He or she will be able to interact with individuals from all over this globe directly over the internet and any other modes of communication. The individual Malaysian will suddenly be flooded with ideas and choices that he or she may never have dreamt of before. These individual Malaysians will be informed, global, knowledgeable, open-minded and aware. Then again, I can also see how this scenario can be a terrifying one for some.