PENANG, 23 July 2015 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has approximately 40 educators with the expertise in the English language and who are ready to contribute to the nation.

According to USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman, this is a big number considering that USM is a university based on Science and Technology, yet the number is not only essential in raising the standards of proficiency in the English language among the university community but could also provide such assistance to others who require them.

This was stated in his speech during the officiating ceremony of the “Seminar for Penang English Language Teachers” (PELTS 2015) event, with the theme “Creative and Innovative Learning and Teaching Practices for ESL Teachers” here recently.

Explained Omar, the three criteria which were considered in the selection process of students coming to USM were that they should be knowledgeable, able to communicate and be proficient in the English language and also having other living skills, such as being able to adapt and survive in the university and outside the campus later on.

“This is important as a student will find it difficult to acquire a respectable career if he or she is unable to be proficient in the English language, although he or she may already have a degree,” he stated further.

The Deputy Education Minister II Malaysia, P. Kamalanathan P. Panchanathan while giving the keynote address and officiating the event, gave emphasis on the various programmes which the government had undertaken in the efforts to strengthen both the proficiencies in Bahasa Melayu and the English language (MBMMBI), as well as ensuring the quality of training for the teachers and equipping them with various skills to assist the school students in acquiring the English language.

“The proposal from the Education Ministry to make it a compulsory pass for the English language subject in the 2016 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations is an effective approach to ensure students are proficient in the language,” he said to an audience of approximately 150 participants of the seminar, including 80 English language teachers from the five districts in Penang and 10 officers from the Penang State Education Department (English Language).

He further stressed, the importance of using the English language in daily life need to be emphasised, in order to acquire knowledge and also proficiency in the second language, as well as being able to use it correctly.

He added, with the capacity of 40 English language experts from USM available at the School of Humanities, School of Educational Studies and School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, it is hoped that the competency level of the English language teachers especially those in Penang, as well as others in the Northern region, can be raised.

When talking to reporters later on, the Deputy Education Minister II requested that parents should be wise when selecting books for their children and to purchase books, including story books, as well as other English language reading materials only from reputable and trusted publishers to avoid any confusion concerning the language.​

The Dean of the School of Humanities USM, Associate Professor Dr. Hajar Abdul Rahim  said, other than helping to improve the usage of English language by students at the secondary school level, this seminar is also aimed at helping the teachers in seeking for solutions to strengthen the teaching practices of the second language in classrooms.

Meanwhile, the Convenor for PELTS 2015, who also lectures at the School of Humanities USM, Professor Dr. Sarjit Kaur A/P Gurdial Singh said, this seminar served as a form of community service, to provide exposure to the English language teachers on the strategies of teaching the subject in a creative and innovative manner, in the efforts to raise the proficiency of secondary school students in using the English language.

“The main objective of this seminar is to raise the capacity of teachers in the aspects of pedagogical and content knowledge of the English language, which would be useful in making the teaching and learning process (P&P) in the schools more interesting and exciting,” she added.

Said Sarjit further, this one-day seminar would present various interesting approaches from the ideas of teachers to bring more excitement to the students to learn the English language.

PELTS was organised by the English Language Studies Section from the School of Humanities, in collaboration with the School of Educational Studies, School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, and the Penang State Education Department (JPPP).

Others who attended include the Director, Penang State Education Department (JPPP) Dato’ Haji Osman bin Hussain; Dean of the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation USM, Professor Dr. Tengku Sepora Tengku Mahadi; representative of the Dean of School of Educational Studies USM, Professor Anna Christina Abdullah; officials from JPPP; teachers and also lecturers from USM.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin/Text: Siti Naquiah Abdillah/Photo: Mohd. Fairus Md. Isa