PENANG, 26 May 2015 – In ensuring the mastery of the English language among students especially those in schools, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) through the School of Educational Studies (PPIP) undergraduates majoring in “Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages” (TESOL) teamed up with Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Penang Free and SMK Convent Greenlane in organising a play based on the English Language Literature component (KOMSAS) entitled “Penang English Literature Drama Showcase”, staged at the Panggung Pelenggam Cahaya, here today.

In officiating the programme, wife of the USM Vice-Chancellor Datin Noraizan Jamaludin commended that such a programme be continued in the future, in view of the importance of the language and supporting the efforts to reinforce its usage among students, without sidelining the acquisition of Bahasa Melayu as the nation’s official language.

Noraizan felt proud and was thankful to the School of Educational Studies, USM for taking the initiative to work together in raising the awareness of students of this programme, and to reinforce the use of the English language among secondary school students.

The “Penang English Literature Drama Showcase” too was held in-line with the “Dasar Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia dan Memperkukuh Bahasa Inggeris (MBMMBI)”, a government policy and initiative in improving the usage of the English language without ignoring Bahasa Melayu as the official language of the nation.

Earlier, Dean of the School of Educational Studies USM, Professor Dato’ Dr. Abdul Rashid Mohamed said, USM is always prepared to cooperate with the outside communities and society to move ahead and strengthen the use of the language up to respectable standards within the country and to uphold the excellence of the country’s education system.

“The staging of the drama constitutes the best platform in learning the use of the language, other than providing exposure to our undergraduates in giving guidance to the secondary school students, providing them the basic practices before stepping out into the working world as teachers," said Abdul Rashid.

 

He added, improvisations in a drama could also provide the opportunities for the students to practise their communicative skills in a more dynamic and exciting environment, as a drama can empower the students, utilising their abilities to think out of the box while building their characters in leadership, problem-solving, and the teamwork spirit, in preparation to face the future.

The staging involved three solid performances of the Form Three KOMSAS English Language dramas entitled “The Railway Children” written by the well-known international author, Edith Nesbit and staged by students from SMK Penang Free, SMK Convent Greenlane, and students of TESOL USM.

Others who attended include the representative of the Penang State Education Department Director, Isma Jamshir Bin Ismail; Principal of SMK Penang Free, Jalil Saad; representative of the Principal of SMK Convent Greenlane, Principals of Cluster Schools, USM key university officials, lecturers as well as students. - Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin/Text: Siti Naquiah Binti Abdillah/Photos: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa