Measures towards enhancing English

ANDREW ONG

The Education Ministry (MoE) actively seeks to enhance English teachers’ skills so students can learn English in a meaningful way, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. 

“The MoE is concerned and continuously takes proactive steps to enhance the capabilities of English language teachers in implementing meaningful pedagogy that benefits student learning in English,” she said via a Facebook post. 

She said under the Malaysia Education Development Plan 2013-2025 and the MBMMBI Policy, various initiatives and professional development programs for English language teachers have been implemented.

These include:

  1. English for Preschool Teachers (EPT) courses, a program for preschool teachers under KPM that has been expanded to include preschool teachers from other agencies such as KEMAS and the National Training and Integration Institute (IKLIN).
  2. The Professional Upskilling of English Language Teachers (Pro-ELT) program aims to ensure that all BI teachers in KPM institutions achieve at least a C1 level in CEFR. Teachers who have not reached the C1 level are required to take an English proficiency test starting in 2019.
  3. Integrated Microlearning Programme with Robust Virtual Experience (IMPROVE), an online self-access platform for English language teachers to enhance their skills and knowledge.

The EPT program consists of six credits. The program integrates face-to-face sessions and fieldwork to aid preschool teachers in adhering to Malaysia’s preschool language policy during instruction.

The Pro-ELT program is supported by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. The aim of the program is to enhance the English language and teaching skills of English language teachers from primary and secondary schools throughout Malaysia.

IMPROVE courses are structured across 8 domains aligned with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework for practitioners, benefiting educators from diverse fields seeking professional and personal development.

  1. Novice Teacher Program under the collaboration between KPM and Teach For Malaysia (TFM) to empower teacher pedagogy.

The Novice Teacher Program aims to enhance teacher pedagogy. The 2024 cohort of TFM’s Novice Teacher Program will run from June 2024 to June 2026.