Investigating Malay language writing proficiency level among upper secondary school students

This paper aims to present the findings of a research on writing proficiency in Malay language of upper secondary schools students in Malaysia. The research is designed to compare writing patterns of urban and rural students from four different zones. The focus of analysis is divided into three aspects, namely, language used, discourse and idea conceptualization. In language used, the focus is on sentence structure, dialect usage and punctuation while discourse looks at interesting phrases. The ideas in the writings are evaluated holistically by looking at the clarity, maturity and relevance of ideas presented. The respondents of this research are selected from five different zones; Kedah (northern zone), Kelantan (eastern zone), Negeri Sembilan (central zone), Sabah and Sarawak (East Malaysia). The total number of respondents is 1524 students. Generally, the findings of the research show that the writing proficiency of the students is at satisfactory level. However, there are differences in the students’ writing performance within the zones

Keberkesanan sarikata sebagai fasilitator untuk pembelajaran bahasa dalam penguatkuasaan perbendaharaan kata dan pemahaman dalam kalangan penutur bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua

Perbendaharaan kata merupakan kaedah penting untuk bertukar idea dan memperoleh pengalaman baru. Kekurangan pengetahuan dalam perbendaharaan kata akan menyebabkan penutur Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua, kurang memahami bahasa tersebut. Bahan audiovisual yang dipertingkatkan dengan penggunaan sarikata adalah alat pedagogi yang baik, dipercayai mampu memudahkan pemahaman. Kajian ini menyiasat keadaan sarikata yang paling berkesan dalam memudahkan pemerolehan perbendaharaan kata dan pemahaman di kalangan penutur Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. Kajian ini juga bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti sama ada pelajar memperolehi prestasi secara berbeza bergantung pada tahap kemahiran mereka dan untuk menentukan persepsi pelajar tentang penggunaan sarikata untuk pembelajaran bahasa. 10 orang pelajar prasiswazah dengan tahap kemahiran Bahasa Inggeris yang berbeza berdasarkan skor MUET mereka, telah digunakan untuk kajian ini. Peserta diminta menonton empat video dari sebuah sitkom Amerika bertajuk "How I Met Your Mother" dengan setiap video diberi sari kata yang berlainan (L2 = sarikata Bahasa Inggeris, L1 = Bahasa Malaysia, dua subtitle = L1 + L2 dan tiada sarikata). Instrumen yang digunakan adalah ujian kosa kata, ujian kefahaman dan soal selidik untuk mengenal pasti persepsi mereka tentang sarikata. Hasil kajian menunjukkan keadaan sarikata dan tahap kecakapan bahasa yang berbeza, boleh memberi kesan yang berbeza terhadap perbendaharaan kata dan pemahaman pelajar

Fusion of technology with language learning: blog community

This paper reports findings of an innovative teaching and learning tool which utilizes the weblogs or blogs to increase and widen the ESL learners’ learning opportunities. It firstly reports on the implementation process of the online blogs community as a learning instrument in a tertiary-level ESL classroom. Secondly, it highlights the learners’ feedback being a part of the online blogging community in order to help them enhance their mastery of the English language. The study which involved a select group of low proficiency learners in one Malaysian university utilized online blog discussion activities, interviews and reflection journals as data collection tools. An online blogging community was created and students participated in the group discussion for a duration of one semester. Qualitative analyses of the blog discussion content, interviews and students’ reflection journals conclusively indicate that online blogging community activities, if done in an organized and structured manner, can widen students’ learning opportunities beyond the physical classroom and provide a fresh and effective learning environment for the ESL learners to improve their command of the target language

English Language Activities In Computer-Based Learning Environment: A Case Study In ESL Malaysian Classroom

Computer based learning environment has been widely discussed, especially in finding a better way to incorporate computer-based activities in the classroom. Lately, the use of computers in the classroom is particularly important in the context of teaching and learning English as a second language. This paper aims to investigate and to understand how computer-based activities are organized in a school situation that is totally dependent on the syllabus. This study is a case study that incorporates classroom observations, field-notes, interviews and written documents. Both computer-based activities and non computer-based activities in ESL classrooms were recorded and anaylsed. This study concludes that the opportunities for students to learn English as a second language using computers are very wide, and the use of L2 can be increased if authentic computer-based activities can be incorporated in the lesso

Using blogs to encourage ESL students to write constructively in English

This paper reports on a study incorporating blog projects as part of an integrated English project assignment. Students did the project outside classroom hours to practice their language skills in an authentic environment, using blogs to communicate with each other. This study seeks to assess the usefulness of blogs in developing students’ ability to write constructively. We collected data through questionnaires that requested students’ feedback on their attitudes and perspectives pertaining to the integrated blog project and how the project motivated them and helped them increase their interest in writing in English. We found that students had a positive attitude about blogging. The students perceived blogging as an interesting and motivating learning environment because interacting through blogs helped with the critical thinking and peer feedback facets of their writing projects. We also found that social interaction helped students improve their writing skill

Computers for teaching English as a second language (secondary school) in Malaysia: a case study.

This study attempts to explore and to understand the use of computers in English language classrooms, in a Malaysian context. This qualitative study aims to investigate and understand the use of computers in English language classes in a secondary Smart School in Malaysia by examining the teaching situations and the types of activities carried out in the classroom. In order to understand the factors related to computer use, teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of computers in English lessons were investigated. Using the perspectives from social constructivism, this study examines, this study also looks into classroom interactions to examine the English language learning opportunities for students. A combination of procedures was used for data collection. The data were collected using classroom observations, interviews, field-notes, document, learning diaries and classroom interaction transcripts. The data were analyzed using multiple analyses. This study use thematic analysis as one of the analysis method to examine the interviews, and observations field notes. This study shows that computers in the classroom can be beneficial as tools for facilitating learning English. This study also suggests that in order for the integration of computers in education to be a success the education system needs to be changed or to be adjusted. This study helps to explain the complexity of using computers in the teaching of English as a Second Language in order to fulfil the objectives of the English syllabus and the English curriculum in a Malaysian secondary school.Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 200

Exploring learning in a computer-based environment in a Malaysian secondary ESL classroom

This paper reports on an investigation into Malaysian students’ use of English language while engaged in writing activities with computers. The study employs a methodology that incorporates classroom observations, interviews, field notes and document analysis. Students who participated in the study were Form Two students working with computers in pairs and in threes to complete a writing task. The study documents students’ use of English when working with computers and analyses students' discourse. The analysis shows that computer-based learning environments offer opportunities for students to develop English for use in different situations in order to take part in social practices. The study has implications for educational programs in Malaysia, in particular for the design of learning tasks using computers and the creation of effective multi-media ecologies for the use of spoken English.Nadzrah Abu Bakar, Peter Micka

Literasi penulisan Bahasa Inggeris dalam kalangan pelajar luar bandar: Implikasi terhadap pengajaran dan pembelajaran

The objective of this article is to investigate the level of written literacy in English among students in the rural area in Malaysia. This article is based on a research conducted at three secondary schools in the district of Kulai, Johor. For the purpose of data collection, a writing test was administered to Form Two students at the three secondary schools. The research findings reveal that the level of written literacy among these students ranges from weak to satisfactory. This article closes with a discussion on the implications of these research findings on the teaching and learning of writing in English especially in the rural are

Development and evaluation of the interactive English Language Literacy System (i-ELLS) for online reading comprehension

i-ELLS (interactive English Language Literacy System) is a prototype that is developed based on empirical evidence of online literacy processes and reading strategies used by multilingual Malaysian readers reading for academic purposes. Based on these findings, several technological features such as discussion tools, real-time audio-visual chat, personal knowledge construction and annotation tools were developed for the prototype in order for the system to cater to the reading strategies identified. The i-ELLS prototype presents a novel way for readers to interact with online textual materials that can be personalized and interacted with in order to assist with literacy and comprehension. It is also designed for collaborative activities in order to maximize the benefits of online environments. It is currently being used in a postgraduate teaching and learning context at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. This paper reports on the development as well as the students’ overall evaluation on the use of the system. The feedback on the use of i-ELLS revealed positive and negative responses. These findings are important as they provide valuable insights on how students read online as well as the technology needed to support an online academic reading environment