Our_Attitude_Needs_Change

OUR ATTITUDE NEEDS CHANGE English language is a universal language that have been used by others globally. In this new era of globalisation, we know that most of our daily life needs us to speak in English impurposely. In order to master the language, it needs much more effort towards enhancing the usage of the language. We know that in Malaysia, the English language is not the mother tounge of most citizen. We are more comfortable with our own mother tounge which is Bahasa Melayu or other dialects as well. The English language maybe is the second or third main language that is commanly used in Malaysia. As we know, the habits of using English as a common daily language have been taught since we are in the kindergarten. Based on the letter to the author of the New Straits Times newspaper on 17th August 2011, the writer said that our attitude needs change towards English. We are fully agree with him. In our opinion, in order to put or Malaysian at the same level with other develop countries, we are encourage to improve ourself as an individual for the first place. To make it more successful, so the person must have their strong feeling towards English. The feeling means that, they must do their very best to love the English language as they love their mother tounge as well. Yes, we know that this statement is very impossible and maybe it is off the top of one’s head. As we know, like a human being, whenever we fall in love with someone, with the top level of efforts we will explore whatever he or she likes and dislikes eventhough it is a very uphill task to be done. Thus, we apply the same pedagogy towards loving the English language. We share a few tips on how to fall in love or to breed a seed of English in our minds and in a person as an individual. The first and the most easiest way is by listening to a simple, slow and clear English song. Eventhough some of the language is not that correct in terms of grammar, but then as the first step it will be very helpful. Based on one of the friends’ experience, she told me that, by listening to one of the Weslife’s song, entitled “Season In The Sun” for the first time, and she had fall in love with the song very much. With a big heart to learn English, she continuously googling, searching and listening to many more English songs. Now, as a result she is able to communicate in English confidently and without any fears of doing wrong. The second tips is by practising English with the family members, friends and colleagues. To be a good English communicator, we must put the embarrasment in speaking English to the lowest level. So that, we can practising it all day long. We always hear that “practice make perfect”. We agree with the idioms so much. By keep practising, correcting and trying to speak in better English, this will helps in improving and adding much more vocabulary to be used in communication. Some other years ago, this topic was also become a bone of contention between publics and some other individuals that were very fanatic towards language. As for instance, in the educational line. Few years ago, around 2003, the implementation of teaching Science and Mathemathics in English or PPSMI become a hot issues among society. In one side, they were agreed that by teaching Science and Mathematics in English, this will help students to master the language very well. The relevance of the point was that most of the terms or phrases in Science and Mathematics are in English. So that, for the long terms effect, the pupils will get used to the terms very well and this can helps in avoiding misunderstanding or misconception in Science and Mathematics as well. The issue was went up to the world when the teachers have been pointed to be one of the cause or a reason of the failure of the PPSMI. It have been reported that the teachers were unable to deliver the contents of Science and Mathematics in English properly which bring to the failurity of the program. Eventhough there were also some pupils that were able to achive flying colors result in Science and Mathematics, it was not a bad indicator of the successful of the PPSMI. The parents were also showing a green light to the implementation of PPSMI as they realized that their children were getting better in English indirectly. It was all depends on oneself either to master it or just to leave it there as the language that just to be heard by the pair of ears. From this big issue, we should not turn a blind eye to the importance of mastering English nowadays. We can conclude that, we must change our attitudes towards English from now on. It does not mean that we are putting aside the importance of our national language that is Bahasa Melayu and put the english language on the top of the world. What are we going to do is to have a multilanguage citizens who have multiskills to be implemented on multitask in whatever job in this challenging economic era. By having this “extra value” in them, this will give them more confidence in competing with other citizens from another countries at the higher level in getting whatever opportunities that will be offered soon. Thus, we should turn over a new leaf as we need to move forward and be in line with other successful person.