The perceptions of students at Indera Mahkota MARA Professional College of English Language Proficiency and its role in preparation for employment

This study aims to find out the perceptions of the students at Indera Mahkota MARA Professional College towards the importance of English language proficiency and its role in preparation for employment. The objectives are to identify the students’ proficiencies in the aspects of listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary, and the use of the skills during their studies, as well as in the work force. The study seeks to identify the correlation between the students’ perceptions and its influence on their overall academic performance (CGPA). A set of questionnaire adapted from a survey by Hamidah Yamat@Ahmad et. al. (2003) was distributed to two hundred and twenty-five students of Diploma in Accountancy (DIA) and HND (Business Information Technology) (HNDBIT). Three hypotheses on finding differences in perceptions between programmes, demographic areas and gender have been tested and the score signifies no correlation between the students’ perceptions and their overall academic performance. This study proposes some recommendations to the existing Ministry of Education’s (KPM) English syllabi and to MARA Higher Education Department

Developing a competency framework for practitioners of English for Specific engineering purposes (ESEP)

The English for Specific Engineering Purposes (ESEP) competencies of ESL practitioners teaching English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) at Malaysian engineering and technical (MTUN) universities is vital in ensuring quality learning and teaching of language and communication skills at those institutions. This study aims to develop a competency framework for ESEP practitioners at MTUN universities. The development of the framework was conducted in two phases using the exploratory sequential mixed methods. The first phase comprises qualitative data gathered from document analyses, related literature and semi structured interviews. This study is framed by the principles of Malaysian Teacher Standards (MTS) i.e. the Professional Values, Knowledge and Understanding, and Skills of Learning and Teaching. The principles are represented by Walker's Professional ELT Service Standards, Venkatraman and Prema's Competencies for Teachers of English in Engineering Colleges and BALEAP Framework. The second phase comprises quantitative data gathered from three Delphi rounds with 14 ESEP experts and a survey of 101 MTUN ESEP practitioners. Finding from the qualitative inquiry revealed evidence of the three principles in identifying the practitioners required competency which implicates two types of professional development training. Formal and informal. The quantitative analyses using SmartPLS software identified the second principle (ESEP Knowledge and Understanding) and 'patient when learners have difficulties in learning as the prevalent principle and competency item for ESEP practitioners. This confirms the importance of ESEP practitioners. This confirms the importance of ESEP practitioners, knowledge and understanding in engineering to elevate their status and recognitions, as well as enhance learners interest in learning the language. The competency framework for ESEP practitioners was also validated in terms of its realibility and validity based on a measurement model developed from the sofware. The framework could be a standard for the practitioners learning and teaching practices and employed as a standard evaluation for quality enhancement professional development training and recruitment purposes. The finding also implicate the need for the local quality agencies to specify a standard of competencies as a guideline for ESEP practitioners qualifications teaching at MTUN universities

SYNERGISING THE ENGLISH FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION, E-LEARNING AND UMPSA LIBRARY USER EDUCATION PROGRAMME FACILITATING APA 7TH EDITION CITATION STYLES BEYOND CLASSROOMS

On 31st May 2024, UHL2422 English for Technical Communication Semester 2 (2023/2024) teaching team, in collaboration with the Centre for Modern Languages (CML) e-Learning Unit and UMPSA Library, conducted an online workshop on Citation Styles: American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition via Microsoft Teams. The workshop, led by the Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Librarians, Ms. Affida Abu Bakar (Senior Librarian) and Ms. Rosfadilla Mohammad Zainun (Assistant Librarian), provided a comprehensive understanding of APA 7th Edition Citation Styles and practical hands-on experience using Mendeley

English for specific technical and engineering academic purposes: An analysis on ESL practitioners’ challenges

The facilitation of English for Specific Engineering Academic Purposes approach at Malaysian technical and engineering tertiary institutions is an effort to revitalise the pedagogical methods of ESL learning and communication skills at the institutions. A close examination on the ESL practitioners’ context has indicated a critical gap between the diversified requirements of skills and sound pedagogical models to determine the practitioners’ quality. In understanding the necessity of the approach, this study aims to explore and investigate the challenges faced by the practitioners in facilitating the approach. The study comprised data gathered from semi structured interviews of 14 ESL experts and an online survey on 42 ESL practitioners in technical and engineering fields. Interview questions for the experts were developed to find out about the challenges and competencies to overcome the hurdles. A self-assessed instrument with a five-Likert scale of importance on the competencies was used to gauge the practitioners’ view onn the approach. Frequencies and percentages, and Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-stage method of thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Findings from the both inquiries revealed several challenges which led to the necessity of wider knowledge and understanding of the approach and the prevalent of specific competencies for the practitioners in overcoming the challenges. The practitioners’ competency was substantially indispensable because it could affect their learners’ interest in learning the skills as well as in understanding the content subject.quality agencies to review and specify the requirement and guideline for ESL practitioners specifically those at technical and engineering tertiary institutions

CML ENGAGEMENT IN ENGLISH COMPETENCY FOR TVET EDUCATORS

From May 6-10, 2024 – A team of 10 English language instructors of the Centre for Modern Languages (CML) engaged with 26 Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA Kuantan (KKTM) in the English Competency Training. The training, which was carried out at KKTM Kuantan Perpustakaan Al Jazari and Smart Classroom, aims to improve understanding and mastery of the English language to improve the KKTM technical instructors’ teaching and learning quality in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) arena

Is Average Worrying? A Mixed Method Study of Malaysian Public University Administrative Staff’s Workplace Communication Apprehension

Even when employed, English oral communication skills proficiency continues to be an asset; mastering the skill is advantageous. The notion has driven comprehensive studies on communication, including apprehension, yet the focus on workplace contexts remainsminimal. Therefore, this investigation aims to discern communication apprehension’s effect on staff’s communication skills, their administrative tasks, and the institution, to support the skill enhancement. Utilizing the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension instrument and a purposive sampling, the study’s explanatory sequential mixed method design sampled institution’s one hundred fifteen administrative staff. The staff communication apprehension levels were recorded as moderate, with the highestin delivering public speeches. Nevertheless, interview results proved differently to extend worrying trends among staff. The trend could jeopardize staff’s personality and productivity in the long run. The mediocre level also hinted at skill’s stagnant inclination or deterioration if itis not consistently used in conducting workplace tasks or events.The need for an impactful lifelong learning professional development plan to improve staff English oral communication skills is apparent by the University. The university's plan also need to include supporting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economicgrowth, full and productive employment, and decent work for their employee

Automated writing evaluation : Catering for creativity

A lot of studies on creativity have been conducted for the past three decades as its role in every aspect of life has been more recognized. Against the backdrop of the use of technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, current studies have drawn more attention to the incorporation of creativity in technology-integrated teaching and learning. This paper calls into question the interplay between creativity as an essential learning skill and technology-driven language instructions emphasizing writing instructions. The AI-powered writing assistant, Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE), has been used in writing classrooms as a form of formative assessment to facilitate self-learning and expedite feedback. When used regularly, AWE is deemed effective in augmenting students’ writing performance, especially in an ESL environment. This paper links the models across three disciplines; writing, creativity, and technology, while accentuating the role of AWE in fostering creativity. Pedagogically, writing teachers who wish to embed creativity in their AWE-assisted lessons would benefit from this paper as they would gain a better understanding of the theoretical nature of the constructs

Congratulations, recipients of digital content creation 2022

As educators progressively shift from print to digital instructional materials, the educators’ exertion to creatively digitalised the materials merit some recognition

Understanding ESL practitioners’ challenges in teaching academic english for technical and engineering purposes

The English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) competencies of ESL practitioners teaching at Malaysian engineering and technical (MTUN) universities is vital in ensuring quality learning and teaching of language and communication skills at the institutions. In understanding the necessity of the competencies, this study aims to explore the challenges faced by the practitioners teaching the skills. The study comprised data gathered from a survey on the practitioners and semi structured interviews of the experts in technical and engineering fields. Findings from both quantitative and qualitative inquiries on the practitioners and experts revealed several challenges; therefore, the necessity of wider knowledge and understanding of ESAP in teaching the context became the prevalent competency for the practitioners in overcoming the challenges. The practitioners’ competency was substantially indispensable because it could affect their learners’ interest in learning the skills as well as in understanding the content subject. The challenges faced by the practitioners call for a specific professional development training to elevate their status and recognition. Subsequently, it implicates the need for the institutions and local quality agencies to review and specify the requirement and guideline for ESL practitioners teaching the skills in a specific academic technical and engineering context

English for Specific Technical and Engineering Academic Purposes: An Analysis on ESL Practitioners' Challenges

The facilitation of the English for Specific Engineering Academic Purposes approach at Malaysian technical and engineering tertiary institutions is an effort to revitalise the pedagogical methods of ESL learning and communication skills at the institutions. A close examination of the ESL practitioners’ context has indicated a critical gap between the diversified requirements of skills and sound pedagogical models to determine the practitioners’ quality. In understanding the necessity of the approach, this study aims to explore and investigate the challenges faced by the practitioners in facilitating the approach. The study comprised data gathered from semi-structured interviews of 14 ESL experts and an online survey on 42 ESL practitioners in technical and engineering fields. Interview questions for the experts were developed to find out about the challenges and competencies to overcome the hurdles. A self-assessed instrument with a five-Likert scale of importance on the competencies was used to gauge the practitioners’ view on the approach. Frequencies and percentages, and Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-stage method of thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Findings from both inquiries revealed several challenges which led to the necessity of wider knowledge and understanding of the approach and the prevalence of specific competencies for the practitioners in overcoming the challenges. The practitioners’ competency was substantially indispensable because it could affect their learners’ interest in learning the skills as well as in understanding the content subject