Oh My English......

I came across something which happened few weeks ago.

Had my weekend breakfast at McDonalds accompanied by The Star. Read an article on page 35 "Improving English in Schools" by Mr Seah Chiang Nee. Although the experience shared and views were based on what he has encountered in a neighboring country, everyone in Malaysia especially in the Ministry of Education should really looked into it.

When I moved to Johor to sit for my SPM, I missed my English teacher Miss Zahorin (from SMK Buyong Adil Tapah) the most. Not because people said we looked alike and similar in characteristics, but because she was a teacher of passion and of course she taught English. On one incident in my new school, I had chosen a different answer for an MCQ exercise, me alone while the rest of my classmates unanimously chose a different answer. I still remember the question "The TV show is (fill in the blanks). While the rest of them chose irrational I had chosen illogical.

Since I am the 'odd' one my answer was deemed wrong. After school, I went to the Teachers Lounge to seek for clarification regards to my answer. Unable to answer me, my teacher directed me to another teacher. The answer to which I was given was "Illogical is an Oxford level choice of word, so we don't use it".

Me being me, the blur one accidentally blurt out "Are we Malaysians that dumb or such a low class people that we are not even allowed to use these so-called Oxford level of words?"I think my teacher was taken aback by it and the look on the other teachers was a mad one. What happen to me? Nothing really except for the fact that I became very quiet...very very quiet in class. And that from that point onwards my teacher chose to ask for my answers before deciding which one is the correct answer. I strongly believed that it should not be the case. I do not want to feel important or anything, I just wanna a fair share in learning and that is all I am asking.

In fact now, while working I noticed how Malaysian level of English has indeed getting from bad to worse, well not to mention myself. The standards are deteriorating and unfortunately very less people seemed to be doing anything. Children have been "brain-washed" to hate English and that it is worth of nothing. Those who speaks though, tend to imitate the Beverly Hills 90210 kinda slang or Hillary Duff's Lizzie Mcguire kinda thing. It is funny indeed. They are trying very hard in faking it that when they were asked of a few simple questions, they tend to "melilanglibu" (panic). Such a wannabe.

Well, for me.... My grandfather has banned me from reading any Malay newspaper, until and unless I have read any English newspapers. That is how I got attached to The Star, especially on Saturdays. People always misjudged me by assuming that I am looking for job opportunities, The Star has a lot of it on its Saturday's edition. But I was more excited about getting more articles to read by just paying RM1:50. yes, I am a cheapskate what can I say huhuhu. It helps as I am not always on the internet reading other stuffs.

On a serious note, I do hope they re-consider implementing the English for Maths and Science back into the school syllabus as it offers extra help for the youngsters to understand the importance of English.