THE CURRENT SITUATION AND ISSUE OF THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia has evolved from a production-based economy to knowledge-based economy in order to stay relevant and compete in the global marketplace. At the same time, the utilization of English in Malaysia has undergone many phases. The ever-increasing advancement of science and technology and the advent of globalization transmuted the whole scenario of the status and utilization of English in Malaysia. The whole country and its people are now very cognizant of the obligation to master the language in order to adjust and cater to the ordinance dictation of English as an ecumenical language.
Therefore, I would like to outline my point of views in regard with the issues highlighted in the Online Article ‘The Current Situation and Issue of the Teaching of English in Malaysia by Saadiyah Darus, 2010’, in which I agree to the fact that the ministry is addressing several deficiencies within the aspects of teaching and learning of the language in both primary and secondary level. For the past few years, the concern over low literacy attainment in English language among Malaysian learners has been explored quite broadly. The main focus of these studies is to examine why Malaysian students do not seem to be able to attain reasonable English literacy even after going through eleven years of learning English in school (Naginder, 2006; Nor Hashimah Jalaludin, Norsimah Mat Awal & Kesumawati Abu Bakar, 2008 in Normazidah Che Musa, Koo Yew Lie & Hazita Azman,2012).