15th or 16th year of life.” Newport (2003) also takes the view Herein is the crux of a fundamental problem not only for preschool
that vocabulary and semantic processing can develop relatively English education, but for English education as a whole. If we expect
normally in late learners. our graduates to operate effectively in English, then they have to get
a good start in English in preschool. This means providing preschool
A related issue discussed by Hunt (1961) is that a high level of children with good models of spoken English from which they can
intellectual capacity during adulthood depends on a high-quality acquire the indispensable foundations on which their later language
educational experience during the early years. It is therefore important learning will be based, and which they will find increasingly difficult to
for the language input during the early years to be appropriate and of acquire as they get older.Young learners cannot be expected to acquire
quality so that the child develops a high level of intellectual capacity the foundations if their teachers lack either the English proficiency to
in communication. Besides curriculum content, the language input provide suitable models, or the basic knowledge of language systems
quality includes how the teaching and learning of the language is that they need in order to guide the learning of their students.
carried out as well as the teacher’s qualifications and proficiency.
4.2.2 Switching language
Although research on the critical period remains inconclusive,
it is reasonable to take the view that language learning must be Tables 4.3 to 4.6 present the suggested timetables included
matched to the maturity of the learner. There are certain language in the curriculum for National Preschools and National-Type
systems which must be mastered early if the learner is ultimately Preschools, which lay down when to teach in Malay, English, or
to develop a command of the language. These areas include Mandarin or Tamil. The white cells indicate lessons to be carried
phonology, morphology and basic syntax such as the use of articles. out in the first language, blue indicates English, and green indicates
Malay as the medium of instruction in National-Type Preschools.
According to Gestwicki (1999), children’s language development
depends on the quality of the input they are given, and these are The differences between the Tables are that firstly for National
also areas which young children are able to learn intuitively from Preschools they have to use two languages, while National-Type
good models. It is extremely difficult to give an adequate theoretical Preschools use three languages. For each type of preschool two
account of these areas using traditional teaching methods, and suggestions (A and B) are given for scheduling the allocation for
even if the teacher were able to provide such an account, it would the use of different languages.
be far beyond the understanding of the children.
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8.00–8.10 8.10–8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.30 9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 10.30-10.50 10.50-11.20 11.20-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (20min) (40min) (20min)
Perbualan Aktiviti Thematic (30min) (30min) (20min) (30min) (30min) (10min)
M Morning pagi Luar module
routine English basic Recess Thematic Pendidikan Pendidikan Reflection
Perbualan Matematik Modul module module Islam /Moral Islam /Moral
T Morning pagi bertema Education Education
routine Morning Outdoor Modul
circle activity bertema English basic Recess Thematic Modul asas Modul Reflection
W Morning Morning Modul Modul module module BM bertema
routine circle bertema bertema
Morning Thematic Thematic Modul asas Rehat Thematic Modul Modul Reflection
T Morning circle module module BM module bertema bertema
routine
Modul asas Recess Thematic Thematic English basic Refleksi
F Rutin Pagi BM module module module
Thematic Recess Modul Pendidikan Pendidikan Refleksi
module bertema Islam /Moral Islam /Moral
Education Education
Table 4.3 Suggested Timetable A for National Preschools
8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.40 9.40-10.10 10.10-10.40 10.40-11.00 11.00-11.30 11.30-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (40min) (30 min) (30 min) (30 min) (20 min) (30min)
(20 min) (20min) (10 min)
Pendidikan Recess Thematic Thematic
M Morning Perbualan Aktiviti Luar Pendidikan Islam module module English basic Reflection
routine pagi Islam module
8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.30 9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 10.30-11.00 11.00-11.30 11.30-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (40min) (20 min) (30 min) (30 min) (30 min)
(20 min) Modul (30min) (20min) (10 min)
bertema Modul Modul asas Recess
T Rutin Perbualan Matematik bertema BM English basic Thematic Reflection
pagi 9.10-9.30 module
(20 min) 9.30-10.00 module
Thematic (30 min)
8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.30 8.30-9.10 Module 10.00-10.30 10.30-10.50 10.50-11.20 11.20-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (40min) Modul asas
(20 min) Thematic BM (30 min) (20 min) (30min) (30min) (10 min)
module
W Morning Morning Outdoor Thematic Rehat Modul Modul Modul Refleksi
routine circle activity Modul module bertema bertema bertema
bertema
T Morning Morning Thematic Modul asas Recess Thematic Thematic English basic Reflection
routine circle module BM module module module
F Morning Morning Modul Recess Modul Pendidikan Pendidikan Refleksi
routine circle bertema bertema Islam Islam
Table 4.4 Suggested Timetable B for National Preschools
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8.00–8.10 8.10–8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.30 9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 10.30-10.50 10.50-11.20 11.20-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (20min) (40min) (20min) (30min) (30min) (10min)
(30min) (30min) (20min)
M Routine Perbualan Aktiviti Thematic English Recess Thematic 模组教学 / 模组教学 / 总结 /
pagi Luar module basic modules Modul bertema Modul bertema Refleksi
module dalam BT / dalam BT / dalam
Pendidikan Pendidikan Bahasa
Islam Islam Tamil (BT)
T 例常活动 / Morning 数学 基础教学 / Modul Modul asas Recess Thematic Modul asas BM 华语 总结 /
Rutin pagi circle Modul asas bertema BM modules 基础模组 Refleksi
dalam BT Matematik /Modul asas BT dalam BT
dalam BT
W 例常活动 / Morning 体健 Modul Modul asas Rehat Thematic 华语 华语 Reflection
Rutin pagi circle /户外活动 bertema BM modules
dalam BT 基础模组 基础模组
/Modul asas BT /Modul asas BT
T 例常活动 / 晨谈 / Modul bertema Modul Modul asas 休息 Modul Thematic English basic Reflection
Rutin pagi Perbualan bertema BM bertema module module
dalam BT pagi dalam
BT
F Rutin pagi 晨谈 / Modul bertema Modul 模组教学 / Recess Modul 模组教学 / 模组教学 / Refleksi
Perbualan bertema Modul bertema Modul bertema Modul bertema
pagi dalam bertema dalam BT / dalam BT /
BT dalam BT Pendidikan Pendidikan
Islam Islam
Table 4.5 Suggested Timetable A for National-Type Preschools
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8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.30 9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 10.30-11.00 11.00-11.20 11.20-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (40min) (20 min) (20min) (30min) (10 min)
(20 min) (30 min) (30 min) (30 min)
Thematic Reflection
M 例常活动 / 晨谈 / 模组教学 / 模组教学 / English Recess Thematic Thematic module
Rutin pagi Perbualan Modul bertema Modul bertema basic module module
dalam BT pagi dalam dalam BT / dalam BT / module
BT Pendidikan Pendidikan
Islam Islam
8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.30 9.30-9.50 9.50-10.20 10.20-10.50 10.50-11.20 11.20-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (40min) (20 min) (20 min) (30 min) (30 min) (30min) (30min) (10 min)
(20 min)
Rehat
T Rutin pagi Perbualan Modul bertema Modul bertema Modul Modul asas 模组教学 / 模组教学 / 总结 /
pagi bertema Recess BM Modul bertema Modul bertema Refleksi
dalam BT / dalam BT / dalam BT
Pendidikan Pendidikan
Islam Islam
W Routine Morning 体健 /户外活动 Thematic Thematic English 华语 华语 总结 /
circle Module Module basic 基础模组 基础模组 Refleksi
module dalam BT
/Modul asas BT /Modul asas BT
T 例常活动 / 晨谈 / 数学 华语 休息 Rehat Modul Modul bertema Thematic Reflection
Rutin pagi Perbualan bertema module
dalam BT pagi dalam 基础教学 基础模组
BT
/Modul asas /Modul asas BT
Matematik
dalam BT
8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.30 8.30-9.10 9.10-9.30 9.30-10.00 10.00-10.30 10.30-11.00 11.00-11.30 11.30-11.50 11.50-12.00
(10min) (40min) (20 min) (30 min) (30min) (20min) (10 min)
(20 min) (30 min) (30 min)
Modul bertema Modul asas English basic
F Morning Morning Aktiviti Luar BM Modul asas Recess module Modul bertema Refleksi
circle circle BM
Table 4.6 Suggested Timetable B for National-Type Preschools
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Young learners cannot
be expected to acquire
the foundations if their
teachers lack either the
English proficiency to
provide suitable models,
or the basic knowledge of
language systems that they
need in order to guide the
learning of their students.
Although these timetables are suggestions, teachers are likely To implement these timetables, teachers have to switch from
to follow them because they have been designed to comply with one language to another in order to keep to the curriculum. In
the policy of equal time for Malay, English, and Mandarin or Tamil. the daily teaching and interaction with the preschoolers, the
However, this arrangement does not provide continuity for a child transition is rather awkward from one language to another on a
learning English, because English is used alternately with Malay, or lesson-to-lesson basis. The time for each lesson is also not fixed,
with Mandarin or Tamil, for the same kind of class. and as shown in the suggested timetables, it varies from 10 to 40
minutes. Constant shifts in languages and duration do not provide
For instance, Morning Circle is carried out in Malay on for continuity in the thinking process for the children.
Mondays and Tuesdays but in English on Wednesdays, Thursdays
and Fridays. Since both languages are taught by the same teacher, The problem here is twofold: children at this age need
students may be confused. This problem is compounded in a structured environment that provides them stability and
National-Type Preschools, where the teacher has to juggle three security. They are comfortable with routines and take comfort
languages: Malay, Mandarin or Tamil, and English. in predictability and continuity in their activities. Abrupt changes
in the language of instruction does not fulfil this need. Secondly,
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teachers who are aware of this problem and who find alternating In 2013, the Cambridge Malaysia Baseline Project 2013, (as
between languages difficult might just not bother too much about described in chapter 1) confirmed that a substantial proportion of
fulfilling the required time allocation for English. They are likely to English teachers have not reached a sufficient level of proficiency.
resort to the language that is most comfortable for both teacher The lack of proficiency among English teachers has to be taken
and pupils, which in most cases will be the first language and not objectively into account in planning to provide them with support
the target language. and to meet their training needs.
4.2.3 Role Models Low levels of English proficiency among teachers reduce
their effectiveness as language teachers. Rohaty Mohd Majzub
The preschool teaching and learning environment is particularly (2013) draws attention to the low level of English proficiency and
demanding on teachers in view of the high level of care, attention confidence in using English among preschool teachers. This lack
and guidance that young children need. Teachers teaching English of confidence contributes to a preschool environment that does
literacy for preschoolers need not only expertise in pedagogical not in general support the use of English, and in most instances
approaches for young children learning English as a second teachers and students prefer to use their mother tongue.
language, but English proficiency for themselves. However, there
is a growing body of evidence that a substantial proportion of The resulting minimal exposure to the target language
preschool teachers do not have these qualifications. undermines the use of the immersion approach best suited for
young learners of a second or foreign language (Kite & Sakui,
In 2010, a study was conducted by the MoE of the status of 2001; Met, 2004; Ojima, Nakamura, Matsuba-Kurita, Hoshino, &
English in 102 public and private preschools, and the teachers Hagiwara, 2011; Tedick, Christian & Fortune, 2011).
interviewed agreed that while the English policy was beneficial in
exposing preschool children to English and preparing them for Year Children do not have the opportunity to learn the language
One, they were themselves apprehensive as they did not have in meaningful social interactions with a more knowledgeable
sufficient command of the language to converse in English. other (Vygotsky, 1978). Moreover teachers who are themselves
learning the target language do not make good models for their
young students.
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For students to
enjoy using English,
teachers need
to plan learning
activities that match
their interests and
stimulate their
curiosity.
Teachers who cannot speak English well and lack language support, they are not translated into everyday practice. Ng (2010)
learning skills should not be the first persons to introduce young found that some teachers did not understand the curriculum for
learners to English. Teachers’ inadequacies which may take the English, and there was a lack of activities teaching English through
form of ungrammatical constructions and mispronunciations are play, music and movement; classes tended to be teacher-centred,
likely to be picked up by the young learners, causing them great with little attention to creativity and problem solving skills. As
difficulty to unlearn and relearn in later stages of the education observed by Kioko (2015) studying early education in rural Kenya,
system. This point is returned to below. such practices are not uncommon when teacher and learner are
struggling with English in an unnatural environment. For students
4.2.4 Developmentally Appropriate Practice Principles to enjoy using English, teachers need to plan learning activities that
match their interests and stimulate their curiosity. Children learn
Nunan (2015) emphasises the importance of training for best through play, and child-directed play that is carefully planned
teachers who are going to teach a language to young learners. This and carried out in a literacy enriched environment facilitates the
training must be based on developmentally appropriate practice development of children’s oral and writing literacy (Anderson,
(Gestwicki, 1999). While such principles may be given widespread Spainhower & Sharp, 2015; Waite-Stupiansky, 2014).
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Resources such as the
culturally relevant Big Books,
graded phonetic readers,
charts, CDs and other
materials supplied by the
Curriculum Development
Division (CDD) of the MoE are
considered supplementary
and underused.
Another DAP and constructivist-embedded approach Our preschool teachers lack the language ability, professional
prescribed in the NPSC is project-based learning. However, skills and initiative to translate curricular goals into teaching
teachers are found to lack the skills and knowledge they need to modules, materials and activities that are developmentally
take this approach in their lessons (Ng & Anna Christina Abdullah, appropriate as advocated by Gestwicki (1999). Preschool teachers
2011; Noor Miza Abdul Rahman, 2015). Learning through play is are expected to use teaching materials and design activities that
another approach prescribed in the NPSC as play comes naturally follow the development of children as well as match their abilities
to children and makes learning fun. and interests in a familiar and meaningful culture.
Thus besides producing more effective learning (Axelrod, However, it appears that what teachers are really looking for
2014; Jarrett, Sutterby, DeMarie & Stenhouse, 2015), it enables is a highly structured daily schedule complete with prescribed
students to develop positive attitudes towards using English, teaching materials ready for immediate use, and perhaps a core
with similar results to the use of techniques such as drama and textbook. Resources such as the culturally relevant Big Books,
storytelling (Grace, 2015; McNair, 2015). graded phonetic readers, charts, CDs and other materials supplied
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by the Curriculum Development Division (CDD) of the MoE are their differences in knowledge and skills skills (see Figure 4.7). These
considered supplementary and underused. eight constructs cover 19 content standards focusing on (BI 1.0)
listening and speaking skills, (BI 2.0) pre-reading skills, (BI 3.0)
While prescribed documents and materials might enable reading skills, and (BI 4.0) writing skills, none of which contains
teachers in the short run to focus on effective classroom any element of HOTs or phonics assessment (for 5+).
management, it does not develop them in the long run to become
versatile educators sensitive to the diverse needs of young learners A 43-page module on the developmental assessment of children
(Ball & Tyson, 2011, Williams-Kennedy, 2013). It is therefore in preschool (KPM, 2010) has been distributed to all preschools as a
important to equip preschool teachers with professional skills guide for preschool teachers, outlining the objectives of the module
focusing on DAP methodology and the use in English language with substantial explanation of concepts and terminologies relating
instruction of culturally sensitive materials. Localised and culturally to assessment. However, there are still grey areas in the assessment
meaningful materials such as stories, songs, and rhymes that both of English proficiency and communicative skills, and there are a
teachers and pupils can identify with are likely to motivate them to number of inconsistencies despite the fair representation of the
embrace the language. constructs according to their weighting in preschool assessment.
Hence there might even be a need to teach teachers how to Firstly, whereas the performance standards document for
develop their own localised and culturally appropriate learning English assessment at Level One (Primary Years 1, 2 and 3)
materials as local contexts (not just considering the visible aspects focuses on performance in achieving the learning standards, the
like food and clothes, but also values and behavioural norms), can preschool assessment focuses instead on testing the content
differ in subtle, yet significant ways that make it quite difficult for standards. The table below contrasts the skills taught and the skills
even the CDD to develop materials to cater to all these differences. assessed at preschool level. Learning outcomes as specified in the
content standards as well as the learning standards are spelled out
4.2.5 Assessment Constructs respectively in Appendix A which shows the mapping between the
NPSC and the CEFR.
The existing National Preschool Assessment Tool (NPAT)
assesses the students’ mastery of specific constructs. Those in In addition, the four content standards (BI1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8)
groups 4+ and 5+ are assessed on the same eight constructs despite assessed under construct (BI 4) measure speaking skills – language
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Skills Taught (as per NPSC) Skills Assessed (as per NPAT)
Focus Content Learning Standards Constructs measured
Skills Standard 4+ age 5+ age
group group Construct: Construct: Construct:
(BI 1.0) 10 (BI 1) Listening & Speaking Skills – responding to (BI 2) Listening & Speaking (BI 3) Listening & Speaking
Listening (BI 1.1 – 17 25 instructions Skills – simple conversation Skills – talking about
Content standards: Content standards: experiences
& 1.10) (BI 1.1) Listen to and discriminate sounds. (BI 1.9) Perform a variety of Content standards:
Speaking (BI 1.2) Listen to and understand meaning of simple language forms and functions in a (BI 1.2) Listen to and understand
words. social context. meaning of simple words.
(BI 1.3) Acquire and use simple phrases and (BI 1.10) Ask simple questions. (BI 1.3) Acquire and use simple
statements. phrases and statements.
Construct: NIL NIL
NIL NIL
*(BI 4) Speaking Skills – language arts
Content standards:
Speaking NIL NIL NIL (BI 1.5) Listen to and enjoy nursery rhymes,
action songs, poems and stories.
(BI 1.6) Sing songs and recite rhymes and poems.
(BI 1.7) Tell simple stories.
(BI 1.8) Dramatise familiar situations and stories.
*(BI 2.0) 2 3 2
Pre- (BI 2.1 – 11
17 Construct: Construct: Construct:
reading 2.2)
(BI 5) Read simple words (BI 6) Read simple sentences (BI 7) Develop interest in
(BI 3.0) 5 (BI 3.1
Reading
– 3.5)
Content standards: Content standards: reading
(BI 3.1) Identify letters of the alphabet. (BI 3.3) Read simple phrases Content standards:
(BI 3.2) Read simple words with understanding. with understanding. (BI 2.1) Understand that printed
(BI 3.4) Acquire knowledge of materials contain meaning.
print and ethics in reading (BI 2.2) Acquire and use simple
phrases and statements.
(BI 3.5) Develop interest in
reading.
(BI 4.0) 2 4 3 Construct: NIL NIL
Writing (BI 8) Writing skills
Content standards:
(BI 4.1) Pre-writing skills
(BI 4.2) Writing skills
Table 4.7 Comparison between skills taught and assessed for English Language in preschools
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arts. In actuality, language arts involve the development of These are important in early literacy as they are strong,
the child’s listening and speaking skills as well as creativity. The reliable predictors of reading and spelling success in later years
assessment of language arts needs to be re-examined to make it (Blevins, 1997; Bryant & Bradley, 1985; Eldredge, 1995; Gillon,
congruent with the primary Year One assessment for and/or of 2004 in Andreassen & Andreassen, 2013; International Reading
language arts based on learning standards: “(4.1.1) Able to enjoy Association, 1998; Rathvon, 2004). Lapp, Flood, Brock and
nursery rhymes, jazz chants and action songs through non-verbal Fisher (2007, p. 137) claim that children in preschool and early
response, (4.1.2) Able to enjoy nursery rhymes, jazz chants and sing kindergarten typically lack a general knowledge of letter-sound
action songs with correct pronunciation and rhythm, (4.2.1) Able relationships during what they call the pre-alphabetic phase.
to demonstrate skills in handling books appropriately, (4.2.2) Able
to respond to (a) book covers, (b) pictures in books with guidance, As the focus of teaching and assessment for Level One in
(4.3.1) Able to produce simple creative works with guidance based primary education is on the development of phonemic awareness
on: (a) nursery rhymes, (b) action songs, (c) jazz chants, (d) stories, as specified in, for example, national primary Year One content
as well as (4.3.2) Able to take part with guidance in a performance standard (2.1) By the end of the 6-year primary schooling, pupils
based on: (a) nursery rhymes, (b) action songs, (c) jazz chants, (d) will be able to apply knowledge of sounds of letters to recognise
stories” (KPM, 2012, pp. 24-25). words in linear and non-linear texts, as well as learning standards
(2.1.1) Able to identify and distinguish the shapes of the letters in
Although “pre-reading skills” is considered a separate focus the alphabet, and (2.1.2) Able to recognise and articulate initial,
area, and is assessed separately in language teaching, “pre-reading” medial and the final sounds in single syllable words within given
naturally comes under “reading”. Moreover, in the assessment context (KPM, 2011), it is recommended that preschoolers aged
of reading skills, phonological and phonemic awareness are not 5+ be assessed on their learning of phonics to prepare them for the
covered. Although these terms are often used interchangeably transition to Year One.
(Eldredge, 1995; International Reading Association, 1998),
“phonological awareness” refers to a general appreciation of sounds Incidentally, the Year One learning standard (2.1.1) Able to
of speech whereas “phonemic awareness” includes this insight of identify and distinguish the shapes of the letters in the alphabet
the general appreciation of sounds as well as the sensitivity and corresponds to two preschool learning standards set for children
understanding that words can be divided into sequence of sounds. in the 4+ age group, namely (BI 3.1.1) Recognise letters of the
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alphabet by their shapes, and (BI 3.1.5) Name letters of the 4.2.6 Assessment Rubrics
alphabet with guidance. This learning standard 2.1.1 is also similar
to the preschool learning standard set for children in the 5+ age The NPAT is designed to measure pupils’ progress against
group, that is, (BI 3.1.6) Name letters of the alphabet. broad criterion referenced learning standards. Performance is
assessed for listening and speaking, reading at word and sentence
Thus, since the preschoolers are exposed to basic phonics level, and writing. Achievement is assessed on a three-point scale
where they learn to sound out letters of the alphabet (learning from “Has Not Mastered” (Belum Menguasai) to “Is Mastering”
standard BI 3.1.7), hear and sound vowel sounds (learning standard (Sedang Maju) and “Has Mastered” (Telah Menguasai).
BI 3.1.8), as well as hear and sound consonant sounds (learning
standard BI 3.1.9) (KPM, 2010, p. 49), assessment covering the The preschool assessment constructs and performance
area of phonological awareness could be included as one of the standards need to describe precisely what students “can do” with
constructs in the NPAT. the language they are learning and, most importantly, it must be
measurable. Taking construct BI3 Listening and speaking skills –
The “focus” aspect in the NPSC refers to the learning area talking about experiences (BI1.2, BI1.3) as an example, it would be
targeted for child development. The development of constructs difficult for a teacher to objectively discriminate between a pupil
for assessment is based on this learning focus or domain. There are who is “able to talk about familiar experiences with prompting”
four areas of focus in the NPSC and “develop interest in reading” (considered as “Has Mastered”) and another who is “able to
is a content standard (BI3.5) listed under reading skills, which is talk about familiar experiences with guidance” (considered as “Is
not a focus area. In the NPAT, “develop interest in reading” is Mastering” ) (see Table 4.7).
considered a construct [BI7] which is subjective and difficult to
measure. Standards that have the added clause of “with prompting” and
“with guidance” can easily be taken to mean the same thing though
in practice, they are associated with very different levels of support
for the student. In another example, being able to read simple
words or sentences “with understanding” for constructs BI5 and
BI6 is not clear as to how the “understanding” is to be measured.
136
Moreover, the descriptors used on the performance standards of forms that are purposeful and apparent in assessing pupil
are too general, especially when they apply to the assessment of performance apart from mere teacher observation, the three
several sub-skills under a particular construct to the extent that scales of measurement used are subjective and open to different
the descriptors become inappropriate or irrelevant. For instance, interpretations of “mastery” by teachers who differ in their
construct BI1 covers listening and speaking skills BI1.1, BI1.2 and expectations of their pupils.
BI1.4 with skill BI1.1 assessing pupils on discriminating sounds whilst
the descriptor for “Has Mastered” of the performance indicates that There is likely to be considerable variation in judgements by
the pupil is “able to respond to simple instructions”(see Table 4.7). different teachers, and what counts as “Has Mastered” may vary
widely from one preschool to another.
Certain constructs such as (BI7) Develop interest in reading
are difficult to measure. A pupil is considered to have achieved the Several of the CEFR level A1, and in some instances, level
standard by the descriptor “able to indicate interest in reading”, A2 “can do” statements can be used as a guide to teachers when
which is ambiguous. The descriptors for the three performance formulating the assessment criteria for productive outcomes for
standards or scales of measurements are vague. speaking and writing abilities as well as for receptive outcomes
involving listening (aural reception) and reading (visual reception).
Just how should one display a personal trait such as “interest”
to “indicate interest in reading” is questionable and is open to However, the CEFR illustrative scales that can be used in the
different interpretations. Similarly, “write simple phrases” can re-alignment are rather limited, and generally it is the lowest level
be interpreted in different ways; it does not indicate independent A1 that applies. In the aspect of writing skills, it appears that the
writing nor copying or whether correct spelling be insisted upon CEFR level A1 Can write simple isolated phrases and sentences is
the child being assessed. the only “can do” statement that could be adopted for an overall
written production (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 61).
Although the mastery of the preschool learning standards helps
ease the transition process from the informal preschool setting In respect of speaking skills, three criteria could apply to an
where assessment is done through non-intrusive observations overall spoken production and/or a sustained monologue such
to the more formal primary school environment where school- as describing one’s experiences. The “can do” statements may
based assessments for (and of) learning of English take a variety plausibly be used to match the NPAT construct (BI 3) Listening
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and speaking skills – talking about experiences, applicable to (A1) Can follow speech which is very slow and carefully
content standards (CS) and learning standards (LS) such as (CS: articulated, with long pauses for him/her to assimilate
BI 1.2) Listen to and understand meaning of simple words, (LS: BI meaning.
1.3.1) Talk about familiar things and experiences, (LS: BI 1.3.2) Talk
about familiar experiences, favourite things and activities around (b) Listening skills: for listening to announcements and
them). The relevant CEFR “can do” statements are as follows: instructions
(a) Speaking skills: for overall spoken production (A1) Can understand instruction addressed carefully and
slowly to him/her and follow short, simple directions
(A1) Can produce simple mainly isolated phrases about (Council of Europe, 2001, pp. 66-67).
people and places,
As for reading skills, the CEFR illustrative scales that can be
(A2) Can give a simple description or presentation of considered as pertinent are as follows:
people, living or working conditions, daily routines,
likes/dislikes, etc as a short series of simple phrases (a) Reading skills: for overall reading comprehension
and sentences linked into a list (Council of Europe,
2001, p. 58). (A1) Can understand very short, simple texts a single
phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and
(b) Speaking skills: for sustained monologue: describing basic phrases and rereading as required.
experiencece
(A1) Can describe him/herself, what he/she does and where (b) Reading skills: for reading correspondence
he/she lives (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 59). (A1) Can understand short, simple messages on postcards.
As far as listening skills are concerned, the following CEFR “can (c) Reading skills: as in reading for orientation
do” statements may be preferred over the descriptors in the NPAT:
(A1) Can recognise familiar names, words and very basic
(a) Listening skills: for overall listening comprehension phrases on simple notices in the most common everyday
situations (Council of Europe, 2001, pp. 69-70).
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4.2.7 Assessment Tools and expectation of what students intend to say in connection with
the constructs assessed. They may overestimate or underestimate
Assessment requires preschool teachers to produce tangible, the performance of students during assessment.
documented proof in the form of worksheets, checklists, questions,
stimuli (e.g. poems, rhymes, song lyrics) etc. Since there are no In general, teachers are likely to make a somewhat lenient
standardised forms of evidence available to teachers, assessment assessment of the pupil’s responses, and claim that the child “Has
is on-going and subject to time constraints, many teachers tend to Mastered” the construct concerned. Although this may boost the
collapse two or more constructs and assess them together. children’s confidence, and motivate and prepare them mentally for
primary education, if they start off without a solid foundation in
More often than not, it is the lack of adequate and valid English, they will later on face the problem of having to un-learn
assessment tools that forces teachers to resort to commercially and re-learn. Without proper guidance, preschool children may
produced workbooks for materials to be used as evidence, even not be able to reach the assessment targets.
though they are not valid tools to assess the child’s abilities, skills,
and knowledge of the constructs. 4.3 The Way Forward: The Roadmap For Preschool Education
4.2.8 Teacher Proficiency This section describes and explains the conditions (see Figure
4.3) required to meet the stated goals for preschool English. The
The low level of language proficiency among preschool hope is that at the end of preschool, students will be confident in
teachers and their lack of self-confidence in communicating using English in and outside the classroom and develop positive
in English (Rohaty, 2013) affect their competence as language attitudes that will ease their transition to primary school. These
assessors. Teachers whose own English is inadequate are unlikely conditions relate to the three areas of curriculum, teaching and
to provide an appropriate model of English for their students to learning (T&L), and assessment. For a visual representation of the
copy. Assessments may as a result be conducted in a mixture of Roadmap, please refer to Section C.
the mother tongue and the target language.
The inadequacy on the part of the assessor could influence
how well their very young students respond (Morrison, 2007).
Besides, teachers may have a different perception, interpretation
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4.3.1 Conditions for Attaining CURRICULUM TEACHING & LEARNING ASSESSMENT
Curriculum goals
Alignment of DAP-informed CEFR- informed
The MEB plans to bring learning standards pedagogy assessment
the primary curriculum up to
international standards so that Transition from Minimum English Institutional
Malaysian students are at the same one instructional requirement for support for
level as their global peers. “Raising language to preschool teachers development of
the bar” has to begin at preschool another assessment tools
level to bring about a smooth
transition and higher standards at English language Teacher
primary and secondary levels. It is rich environment competency
therefore important to look at the in preschools in preschool
preschool curriculum. English language
Parental and assessment
The NPSC is based on DAP community
as a whole, so there is a need engagement
to ensure that the skills in the
English language component of Figure 4.3 Conditions for Reform
the Communication Strand reflect
its principles, and that teachers
can impart the skills easily in the
English Basic Module. The content
and learning standards for English
need to be aligned to the CEFR. It
would be useful to set CEFR staged
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learning outcomes based on the Cambridge Baseline Report as a number of hours of learning and exposure to the target language
guide for preschool. for the young learners.
The alignment with DAP principles and the CEFR will ensure There is a need to facilitate and motivate the transition from one
the integration of the child’s needs, interest, and abilities while language to another without too much trouble for the teacher as
providing meaningful experiences to facilitate comprehension and well as to reduce confusion among students. The transition should
memory. The alignment to the CEFR will ensure that the content ensure some form of structure and predictability for the students.
and learning standards are specific and easily taught. In addition, DAP principles advocate the use of predictable daily schedule
the CEFR provides the necessary international benchmark at the (Gestwicki, 1999). The curriculum review should therefore look
outset of the child’s education. into providing sample schedules that provide preschoolers with
structure, continuity and predictability. The structure would also
Preschool teachers have the mammoth task of implementing reduce anxiety and promote teaching and learning.
the six strands of the NPSC in classroom instruction using two
languages (National Preschools) or three languages (National-Type The above two conditions are complemented by the need to
Preschools). Teachers have to constantly switch languages during provide an English language-rich environment to facilitate students’
classroom instruction to keep to the number of hours stipulated acquisition of the target language. Such an environment would
under the NPSC. Preschool teachers are generally unable to rigidly reduce the “unfamiliar” and “fear” factors attached to learning
follow the time stipulation for a number of reasons including the a new language, as well as promote positive feelings towards
preschoolers’ family and language backgrounds, English proficiency learning English.
and preference for the mother tongue.
The aim of such an environment is to simulate an “immersive”
In a context where the preschoolers’ mother tongue is not approach that also includes the use of English outside the classroom.
English, it is not unusual or wrong for the teacher to use the mother Other possible contributions to an EL-rich environment include
tongue in instruction of the target language and other learning providing materials such as English stories and picture books,
topics. The literature shows many advocates of this practice (e.g. having labels and signages in English, and events such as “speak
Cambridge University Press, 2015; TESOL, 2010). However, it English day”.
is feared that all this might affect the fulfilment of the required
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Over and above the three conditions described so far is the 4.3.2 Conditions for Attaining Teaching & Learning Goals
need to ensure continuity and congruence between school and
home. For positive English language learning attitudes to be Teaching and learning at preschool level includes two important
reinforced in students, the home environment has to be equally requirements of significance to the Roadmap. The first is to ensure
positive. To this end, it is necessary for parental and community that teachers’ practices are consistent with the principles of DAP,
engagement programmes to be put in place in which parents have which privilege the individual young learner on a unique learning
to play a more active role as champions of the target language. pathway. Pre-service courses, in-service continuous professional
development courses, and the monitoring and evaluation of
The school with the support of the district and state education pedagogy should be concerned with raising teachers’ awareness
offices have to take the lead in designing these programmes in of DAP and its importance for the teaching of English to young
order eventually to see parents and community members taking learners. In this regard there should be a body under the Schools
on more dominant roles and responsibilities in organising activities Inspectorate and Quality Assurance (henceforth “SIQA”) to
to support students’ learning. Parents are crucial to the success of evaluate and support the practices of preschool teachers.
the learners.
To be effective in the task, officers monitoring and evaluating
The support for the teaching and learning of English can take practices at preschool level should themselves be trained in
many forms depending on the imagination and resourcefulness of both English and early childhood or preschool education or have
the parents. Parents, for example, can volunteer to conduct reading undergone some training in DAP principles. The Teaching Assistant
or story telling sessions. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) (henceforth “TA”) who is currently provided by the system should
should focus on such joint efforts for preschool. The effectiveness also be involved in more active and effective ways to support
of the partnership between the school on the one hand and the teaching.
home and the community on the other should also be monitored
and sustained. With systemic institutional support, the home The second aspect concerns the qualifications of preschool
and school partnership will become part of the school culture. teachers. To teach English to preschoolers, teachers must not only
Ultimately such activities will have the end result of increased EL be equipped with the appropriate pedagogical approaches but also
engagement time for students and even parents. be skilled in the language and model its use. The present diploma
level qualification (with no emphasis on the need for English)
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should be raised to a higher standard. Candidates for teaching to incorporate assessment on phonics particularly phonological
need at least a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, awareness for the 5+ age group, and HOTs guided by the CEFR.
Preschool Education and English Education (e.g. Teaching English This is complemented with a glossary of terminologies related to
as a Second Language (henceforth “TESL”), Teaching English to the constructs, descriptors and concepts used. Such a glossary will
Speakers of Other Languages (henceforth “TESOL”), Teaching help teachers to interpret, understand better and implement the
English to Young Learners (henceforth “TEYL”). revised assessment tool more effectively.
An alternative human resource is the group of retired local The existing eight constructs in the present NPAT need to be
English teachers who are not only experienced in teaching but also revised before the descriptors can be re-aligned to CEFR-informed
highly proficient in English. Retired English teachers can fill the assessment. Revision of the descriptors involves the use of the
gap while plans are put in place to train preschool teachers with CEFR scales of illustrative descriptors of language proficiency.
the appropriate qualifications for the workforce. It is believed that These holistic scales can appropriately be used to specify the
teachers with a combined competence in language and pedagogy descriptors of aspects of English language proficiency related to
will be able to use the language confidently and be excellent models particular competences for the preschool level.
for the young learners. A natural English-rich environment as
described in the section above will make the young learners more Three different common reference levels of proficiency of
receptive to the language and eventually use it with confidence. the CEFR pertinent to preschool education are: level A1 (Basic
user: Breakthrough), level A2 (Basic user: Waystage) and level B1
4.3.3 Conditions for Attaining Assesment Goals (Independent user: Threshold). The scales describe what pupils
can do and how well they do it. While the user-oriented scales
There are three conditions for reform for preschool assessment. describe what communicative tasks pupils can do, and the assessor-
The first condition for reform in Phase 1 (2015-2018) is the oriented scales which guide the rating process specify how well
adoption of the CEFR-informed assessment to which the current the pupils perform the tasks. The “can do” descriptors specify
NPAT is re-aligned. The re-alignment involves a revision of the the learning targets, and based on the “can do” statements, the
existing constructs and descriptors for the performance standards preschool teachers can select and/or develop learning materials
and activities as well as design assessment tools or tasks.
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In tandem with the re-alignment process, assessment practices The respective District Offices (DEO) will mobilise teachers
should be developmentally appropriate, linguistically appropriate, and to develop the standardised assessment tools collaboratively. At
age appropriate (Morrison, 2007). Assessment tools developed to the initial phase, priority is given to the development of assessment
support the children’s learning should include measurement of phonics tools to test listening and speaking skills. This is because hitherto
particularly phonological awareness for preschoolers aged 5+. there has not been any attempt to produce such standardised tools
for assessment. Moreover, current key trainers for preschools
They should be designed to measure pupils’ sensitivity to have pointed out the inadequacy of assessment tools especially in
the sound structure of English, that is, to ensure that preschool assessing listening and speaking skills.
pupils are not only aware of words within sentences but also can
recognise, detect and identify rhymes within words, beginning The third condition for reform concerns teachers and pupils.
sounds (alliteration) and ending sounds (assonance) within words, As the prerequisite for recruitment of preschool teachers in Phase
syllables, onsets and rimes (Eldredge, 1995; International Reading 1 is a minor in English, the Day School Management Division
Association, 1998; Rathvon, 2004). (henceforth “DSMD”) will ensure that the administration of
assessment for the learning of English is shouldered by English
Besides these, exemplars of developmentally appropriate and language option teachers and/or teachers who are competent
linguistically appropriate assessment tools should be provided for users of English. Assessment of pupils will be more streamlined as
standardisation in the form, format and procedures of assessment teachers will be guided by exemplars and the use of the standardised
across National Preschools and National-Type Preschools. assessment tools. Pupils will be more confident in the use of the
Armed with exemplars, teachers will be properly guided in the language if we achieve the expected jump to CEFR A1 on exit for
administration of assessment besides being more confident, preschoolers in 2018 for the present cohort of beginners.
objective and fair in their assessment of pupils.
In Phase 2 (2019-2022), monitoring and evaluation of the CEFR-
The second condition for reform is institutional support which informed assessment will be conducted by the SIQA to ensure that
is important for standardisation efforts to be successful. Each State it is used effectively. Evaluation reports by the Inspectorate will
Education Department (SED) will work towards the development of be given to SED and DEO focus on teacher quality improvement
standardised assessment tools to be used as evidences in formative (as assessors) and pupil performance improvement (as testees).
assessment albeit it is generally done through observation.
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Information on pupil performance can also be obtained from pupil individually for their own use and/or collaboratively for shared use.
progress quarterly reports which will reflect indirectly on the Individually developed, non-standardised assessment tools as well
effectiveness and viability of the revised NPAT. as collaboratively developed, standardised assessment tools are
expected. SIQA will evaluate teacher competency in assessment.
Preschool teachers will be trained to develop standardised
assessment tools for all four language skills (listening and speaking, The Inspectorate’s evaluation report will be given to SED
reading, writing). Professional upskilling courses will need to be and DEO. The use of student portfolios based on appropriate
conducted by the English Language Teaching Centre (henceforth and authentic assessment will be enforced with pupils involved in
“ELTC”). The focus is on (a) English language assessment, and project-based learning.
(b) adapting and developing standardised assessment tools. At all
levels, advisory support on troubleshooting matters related to the 4.3.4 Action Plans
adaptation and development of standardised assessment tools is
to be provided. Phase 1 (2015-2016)
Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of teachers’ Curriculum
competency in assessment will be conducted by DEOs. Monitoring • Adopt CEFR as the reference for the development of the
reports furnished by DEOs are to be compiled by SED and given
to DSMD. In their assessment of pupils, teachers should be guided content and learning standards for English
by the exemplars as well as those adaptations made from valid
assessment tools. • Reinforce DAP as the reference for including pedagogical
aspect into the content and learning standards for English
In Phase 3 (2023-2025), a review of the NPAT guided by the
CEFR will be necessary to produce a more robust NPAT as well • Provide the NPSC in Malay and English to encourage the use
as to cater to national needs and to the challenges of changing of English for the Thematic Module
times based on CEFR-informed assessment. It will be necessary
to continue the training of teachers to develop developmentally • Adopt DAP as the reference for planning daily schedules
appropriate and linguistically appropriate assessment tools focusing on instructional language use
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• Encourage immersive-EL learning environment in preschools Phase 2 (2017-2020)
• Design programmes to engage parents and community in Curriculum
supporting preschool students’ EL learning (e.g. teacher’s aide) • Evaluate and monitor teachers’ comprehension of the EL
Teaching & Learning content and learning standards in the revised document.
• Conduct courses on understanding and using DAP (including
• Evaluate and monitor the implementation of the schedules
culturally appropriate) principles to inform practice focusing on instructional language use
• Appoint competent users of English to teach preschoolers • Implement and monitor school-based initiatives for EL-rich
(focusing on retired local English teachers) environment
Assessment • Launch parent and community engagement programmes and
• Revise constructs and descriptors for performance standards to monitor
incorporate assessment on phonics and HOTs complemented Teaching & Learning
by a glossary of terminologies relating to constructs, descriptors • Provide continuous professional development courses for
and concepts used, guided by the CEFR.
the Inspectorate to enable them to effectively monitor and
• Provide exemplars of developmentally appropriate and evaluate effectiveness of pedagogy using DAP principles
linguistically appropriate assessment tools for standardisation
across National Preschools and National-Type Preschools. • Implement the Bachelor’s degree as minimum qualification for
preschool teachers:
• Mobilise teachers to develop collaboratively standardised
assessment tools for testing listening and speaking skills a. Major English, minor Early Childhood Education or Preschool
Education
• Recruit EL optionists and/or competent users of English to
(teach and) conduct assessment b. Major Early Childhood Education or Preschool Education,
minor English
• Assess pupils according to the exemplars
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c. Double degree consisting of English and Early Childhood Teaching & Learning
Education or Preschool Education • Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of pedagogy using DAP
Assessment principles
• Monitor and evaluate CEFR-informed assessment
• Review preschool teachers’ English language quality
• Train teachers to adapt from valid assessment tools to develop
developmentally appropriate and linguistically appropriate Assessment
assessment tools for all language skills (L, S, R, W) • Review the NPAT guided by the CEFR
• Supervise, monitor and evaluate teachers’ competency in • Train teachers to develop developmentally appropriate and
assessment linguistically appropriate assessment tools individually (or
collaboratively) for own (or shared) use
• Assess pupils guided by the exemplars and adaptations from
valid assessment tools. • Evaluate teacher competency in assessment
Phase 3 (2021-2025) • Develop portfolio assessment
Curriculum 4.3.5 Milestones
• Review the English language content and learning standards in
The roadmap for preschool (see Section C) presents
the revised document based on the evaluation report expectations of what could be achieved in the form of milestones.
These milestones are to be delivered in three phases, Phase 1
• Review the schedules based on the evaluation report (2015-2016), Phase 2 (2017-2020) and Phase 3 (2021-2025). The
milestones are listed according to the phases and the three areas
• Review and improve EL-rich environment initiatives of curriculum, teaching & learning and assessment.
• Review engagement programmes a. Milestones for the end of Phase 1 (2015-2016) are as follows:
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Curriculum • Exemplars of developmentally appropriate and linguistically
• CEFR has been used as the reference for the development of appropriate assessment tools have been produced
the content and learning standards for English language • Standardised assessment tools for listening and speaking skills
• DAP has been reinforced as the reference for including pedagogical have been developed
aspect into the content and learning standards for English language • Assessment by English language optionists and/or competent
• Teachers have been provided with the NPSC in both Bahasa users of English has been conducted
Malaysia and English. b. Milestones for the end of Phase 2 (2017-2020) are as follows:
• Appropriate sample schedules focusing on instructional
Curriculum
language use have been developed • A comprehensive report has been completed evaluating
• Emerging immersive EL environment
• Programmes for parental and community engagement designed teachers’ comprehension of the English language content and
learning standards in the revised document
Teaching & Learning
• Raised awareness and understanding of DAP among preservice • A comprehensive report has been completed evaluating the
implementation of the schedules focusing on instructional
and in-service teachers language use
• Retired local English teachers have been considered and
• An EL-rich environment emerging in schools
recruited for the post of preschool teacher
• Engagement programmes launched and monitoring reports
Assessment submitted
• NPAT has been revised according to CEFR-informed assessment
• Broader opportunities to use EL in and outside school
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Teaching & Learning • A set of improved daily schedules in the curriculum document
• The Inspectorate has been trained in DAP-informed pedagogy has been developed
• Implementation of appointment requirements for preschool • An English-rich environment in all schools
teachers (Bachelor’s degree with major/minor or double major • Increased time for effective engagement with English
in Early Childhood Education or Preschool Education and
English Education has been enforced Teaching & Learning
• DAP-informed pedagogy used effectively
Assessment • Preschool teachers’ English language quality achieved
• Evaluation reports on the effective use of the CEFR-informed
Assessment
assessment by SIQA • A robust NPAT based on CEFR-informed assessment
• Developmentally appropriate and linguistically appropriate
• Professional upskilling courses for teachers have been conducted
with advisory support on (a) English language assessment, and (b) non-standardised and standardised assessment tools
adapting and developing standardised assessment tools by ELTC • Evaluation report on teachers’ efficacy in conducting CEFR-
• Evaluation reports on teachers’ efficacy in using the CEFR- informed assessment by SIQA to SED, DEO.
informed assessment by DEO to SED, DSMD • Student portfolio assessment enforced
c. Milestones for the end of Phase 3 (2021-2025) are as follows:
Curriculum
• An improved curriculum document has been developed with
regard to English language content and learning standards
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4.4 Implications and Recommendations be reviewed to incorporate the feedback from teachers to optimise
instruction in English.
This section lists implications and makes recommendations
to ensure that the goals of preschool English education are met. The Thematic Module integrates all the strands in NPSC. The
Although some might involve policy recommendations, most content and the learning standards of all the strands should be
are more operational in nature, requiring consistent monitoring written in both Malay and English to help teachers use English as a
and support for the high fidelity implementation of DAP and medium of instruction when using the Thematic Module.
constructivist Teaching & Learning approaches in preschool.
4.4.2 Teaching & Learning implications and recommendations
4.4.1 Curriculum implications and recommendations
To achieve quality Teaching & Learning appropriate at the
Reviewing the curriculum according to the CEFR and DAP preschool level, it is recommended that preschool teachers’
principles will ensure that pedagogical concerns are included in the practices be monitored, evaluated and supported to ensure best
development of the content and learning standards for English, practices in English education for young learners. Both in-service
and that prevailing international standards are met to make our and pre-service teachers should be trained to apply DAP and
students internationally competitive. Samples of daily schedules constructivist principles in the preparation and use of teaching-
in the NPSC should also be based on DAP principles to facilitate learning materials. Learning through play, music and movement,
classroom instruction. problem-based learning, drama and storytelling will be some of
the activities that mark the preschool class. It follows that the
The reviewed content and learning standards for English and Inspectorate monitoring and evaluating teachers’ performance
the sample daily schedules need be explained to the teachers needs to share the same principles. The Inspectorate should
before they can be used in classroom instruction. A subsequent accordingly be regularly trained in DAP and constructivist
evaluation will be necessary to check that teachers understand approaches to enable them to effectively perform their task of
the English language content and learning standards in the revised evaluating and supporting preschool teachers. A repository of
document. Finally, the standards and the daily schedules need to teaching materials and approaches should be created as teachers’
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resources. This should also include videos showcasing best teachers and learners. Data, analysis and findings from these two
practices in a variety of preschool settings. studies will provide further insights and suggestions of specific
steps for improving English education at the preschool level.
Among the key success factors are the qualifications of
preschool teachers, especially their English proficiency. The 4.4.3 Assessment implications and recommendations
minimum qualification for preschool English teachers should
therefore be a first degree including English and early education The existing constructs in the NPAT need to be revised before
in some appropriate combination. Possible combinations include the descriptors are aligned to CEFR-informed assessment. To
Early Childhood or Preschool Education with a minor in English address the problem of teachers whose English proficiency is
Education (such as TESL, TESOL, TEYL); or a Bachelor’s degree insufficient to assess their students, only English option preschool
in English Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education or teachers should be assigned to (teach and) assess the English
Preschool Education; or a double degree in these two fields. Once Language component, on the grounds that they will be more
teachers are in post, their English proficiency needs to be assessed objective and prove more reliable in their judgment of student
at appropriate intervals. performance.
The third recommendation involves setting up partnerships Graduates with a major or minor in English from local institutes
between home and school to enable parents to support school of teacher education ought to be sufficiently equipped with the
efforts to help the children learn and use English. This could involve knowledge and skills in testing or indeed in integrating assessment
an extension of the PTA already in place in primary schools, or a into teaching, given the amount of exposure and input they have
special taskforce made up predominantly of parents could be set received during their five-and-a-half years (for intakes before June
up to encourage English-related activities beyond the school and 2014) or five years (for intakes starting from June 2014) of training in
to help make homes more receptive to English. English teaching methodology, English phonology, lesson planning,
language testing and assessment apart from the three-phase, 24-
The final recommendation is to carry out research in order to week teaching practicum assignments and a further topping-up of
inform practice. Two studies are essential and they are (1) preschool a one-month school internship programme just before graduation.
teachers’ practices with the end goal of applying DAP principles in
teaching English and (2) English proficiency level of both preschool
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It is also recommended that key concepts relating to assessment This helps to ensure that teachers are clear about the levels
such as content standard, learning standard, construct, focus area etc. of complexity expected and can thus apply similar attainment
should be integrated with those used at the primary level to address indicators. A glossary of common terminology and key concepts of
the issue of inadequate constructs. This will ensure uniformity, clarity, assessment as used in the descriptors would be useful to teachers
continuity and fairness in assessment, and may also help to prepare in discerning expected student outputs. This would help the
the children to take on the challenges ahead in primary education teacher-assessors to be more accurate in their interpretation and/
assessment, giving them the confidence and the ability to respond or judgment of student performance.
appropriately and independently. At least 10% of pupils are targeted
to exit preschool education with a CEFR level A2 proficiency. If the existing NPAT is to be successfully aligned to CEFR-
informed assessment linking student performance and learning
It is further recommended that the descriptors used to express outcomes to meaningful, reliable international criteria such as the
the mastery of a construct covering several skills be more elaborate CEFR (Keaney, 2014), then the assessment methodology should be
and specific in order to address the issue of inadequate assessment designed to measure what students “can do” with the language not
rubrics. If possible, tasks should encourage the development only when fulfilling tasks and through interaction with others but also
of the child’s reasoning power and thinking skills, requiring with guidance provided by the teacher who continuously observes
preschoolers to think critically and creatively just as pupils in Year (Gober, 2002). In line with current trends in assessment, McMillan
One are expected to. They should start to use “language, form (2014) stressed that pupils should be assessed on their application
and style for a range of purposes” (KPM, 2012, p. 22) and use “a and use of their combined knowledge acquired and skills learned. For
range of strategies to construct meaning” (KPM, 2012, p. 19). example, the assessment of listening and speaking skills is covered
The development of the child’s phonological awareness should under constructs [BI1]: listening and speaking skills – responding to
be encouraged and be included in the assessment to prepare the instructions, [BI2]: listening and speaking skills – simple conversation,
5+year-olds to progress to Year One. Developmentally appropriate [BI3] listening and speaking skills – talking about experiences, and
and linguistically appropriate exemplars should be integrated into [BI4] speaking skills – language arts. These can be replaced with the
the assessment document for standardisation purposes as over- CEFR level A1 descriptor “Can make an introduction and use basic
generalised and ambiguous performance standards tend to be greeting and leave-taking expressions” with specific measures added
interpreted in different ways by different assessors. to distinguish and suit the respective construct and communicative
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task to be fulfilled. This will also help teachers to report results easily in English learning at preschool level, and to suggest improvements
in terms of the level of proficiency attained by the pupil. to raise the quality to international standards. These suggestions
involved the three interrelated components of curriculum, teaching
Finally, in addressing the issue of inadequate valid assessment & learning and assessment.
tools, it is recommended that preschool teachers need professional
upskilling and training to develop their own developmentally Main Findings
appropriate assessment tools or at least to work collaboratively
in developing assessment tools for shared use. It is important • The need to align the National Preschool Standards-Based
for teachers to be skilled in integrating assessment tasks into Curriculum (NPSC) to the CEFR
their lessons and in ensuring those tasks in the assessment tools
are closely aligned to the learning outcomes to take advantage of The NPSC is already to some extent aligned to the CEFR
“tangible instructional payoffs” (Popham, 2003, p. 1). in terms of its emphasis on action-oriented, learner-centred,
culturally responsive and self-regulated approaches. Hence the
Teachers also need to understand the principles behind alignment that is needed is not an extensive one, merely one that
assessment for learning and that their assessment tools are valid in involves the re-writing of learning and performance standards in a
measuring the performance progress of all students including those manner similar to the CEFR’s “can do” statements.
who fall below or above the performance standards. In essence,
teachers should make sure that assessments benefit the children • The need to align learning standards to international standards
they assess. As Popham (2003, p. vii) observes, “teachers who do
not possess at least rudimentary knowledge about testing are less The contemporary skills relevant for preschool children in
likely to do a solid job of teaching.” relation to the curriculum and learning standards are proficiency
in English, higher order thinking skills (HOTs) and Information and
4.5 Summary and Conclusion Communications Technology (ICT) skills. The development of
HOTs and ICT skills may not take place since the English learning
This preschool chapter has focused on the learning of English in standards have no explicit mention of such skills. Teachers who
Malaysian government preschools, aiming to identify major issues follow the curriculum to the letter might fail to incorporate such
skills in the teaching of English.
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• The need to ease the transition from one Instructional language to given include their lack of competence and confidence stemming
another from their low English language proficiency.
An analysis of the scheduling for the use of English in both • The need for suitable role models
National Preschools and National-Type Preschools sees the teacher
having to juggle between the different languages in a rather rigid Shortcomings in teacher competency and proficiency lead
and disjointed fashion. It is not only difficult for the teacher who to problems in teaching and learning and also in assessment. For
is a generalist to handle two or three languages, but also confusing preschool children to achieve the learning standards and develop
for the children who find their teacher using different languages appropriate attitudes to learning English, teachers need to be good
with them in a seemingly arbitrary fashion. It would therefore be role models. For students from non-English speaking backgrounds,
advisable to consider a more flexible system of timetabling and teachers may be the only role model available. While some children
even the provision of a dedicated English teacher. might have some exposure to English on television or in the popular
media, it is the teacher who has the most impact on the children’s
• The need for clear and renewed emphasis on constructivist learning, so that their level of attainment is limited by the teacher’s
and Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Principles in lack of proficiency.
English instruction
• The need for reliable and valid assessment tools
For preschoolers to be confident in using English, learning
activities have to match their interests and their natural ways Teachers have not found the existing assessment instruments
of learning, free of stressful experiences. These would require user-friendly. The three scales of measurement used are subjective
teachers to be mindful of both constructivist and DAP principles and open to different interpretations of mastery by teachers who
when planning and implementing learning activities. differ in their expectations. Abstract constructs such as those
relating to affective outcomes are also difficult to measure. In
This would also include the use of culturally appropriate addition, some teachers have sought to assess their children’s
materials in T&L. However research and feedback from practising development using commercially produced materials.
teachers reveal that teachers are not doing as much as they would
like to in incorporating such principles in their lessons. Reasons Some of these, whether they are foreign or local, or whether they
use printed or digital media, contain learner errors and inauthentic
154
English. Teachers resort to such materials because they have to • Improve descriptors in assessment rubrics by removing
provide evidence that children’s performance has been assessed. ambiguity and operationalising the assessment of abstract
constructs; and provide exemplars of standardised assessment
Recommendations for National Preschools and National-Type Preschools
The following recommendations are based on the gaps and • Revise constructs and descriptors for performance standards
problems reported above. including phonics (for 5+ age group) and HOTs guided by the
CEFR
• Align the English language NPSC with the CEFR by rephrasing
the learning standards in the form of “can do” statements • Train teachers in the preparation of valid and authentic
assessment tools
• Add on and make explicit learning standards that incorporate
fostering of positive attitudes towards the learning of English, • Set up groups in all preschools, spearheaded by “champion
and the development of HOTs and ICT skills parents”, to strengthen home-school partnerships to support
positive attitudes towards the learning of English
• Improve the pre-service and in-service training of teachers
in implementing learning activities that incorporate In conclusion, there are three main aspects to consider in
developmentally appropriate practice and constructivist planning the way forward for preschool English language education:
principles such as learning through play, music & movement,
project-based learning, drama and storytelling. Recordings of 1. The alignment of the NPSC to the CEFR, and this is mainly in
how such approaches are used in authentic preschool settings the phrasing of content, learning and performance standards;
can be developed and disseminated to all preschools
2. Teacher training and improved teacher qualifications to
• Establish a first degree including some appropriate combination of prepare teachers to implement DAP and constructivist learning
Early Childhood Education or Preschool Education with English activities; and
proficiency equivalent to that of a TESL/TESOL/TEYL graduate
as the minimum qualification for preschool English teachers 3. Collaboration between home and school to ensure continuity
and harmony between children’s school and home experiences
in fostering positive attitudes towards the learning of English.
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The Roadmap 2015-2025
It is difficult not to overestimate the key role of the teacher, The reality of today’s preschool is far removed from what
especially at preschool level. Whether we are concerned with the is now needed. If our young children attempt to learn English
curriculum, withT & L or with assessment, success or failure depends from teachers who themselves lack the necessary proficiency, it
on the competency and proficiency of the teacher. If we expect our is no surprise at all that many of them do not acquire even the
children to obtain a good grounding in English in preschool, then rudimentary use of the language, and perhaps acquire incorrect
preschool English has to be taught by teachers of high calibre. language forms and pronunciations that become harder to unlearn
as time goes on.
What happens in preschool has consequences for the children’s
later education. To take the analogy of learning to play the piano, we The longer term outcome of a poor start in English is that many of
expect the piano teacher herself to be a skilled player if she is to teach our graduates leave university with insufficient English proficiency
her pupils to develop the correct techniques, finger movements, and to obtain suitable employment, particularly in the private sector.
posture which the learner needs in order to play the piano properly. If we wish to tackle the problem of graduate unemployment, we
This brings together a number of skills and abilities, including listening have to trace the problem to where the problem itself starts, that
and sensory-motor skills, and general musical ability. is, to their early learning experiences.
Language learning similarly involves skills and abilities which Only teachers with the necessary English proficiency and
the teacher needs to possess in order to enable learners to get qualifications in early education should be authorised to teach English
things right at the very beginning. This includes not only the to young learners in our preschools. If we do not address the problem
generation of correct sentence patterns in communication, but at its source, then all other reforms relating to curriculum, T&L and
also the motor skills involved in correct pronunciation. assessment at educational levels beyond the preschool, no matter how
well designed they may be, will inevitably come to nothing.
The popular image of preschool is of a playschool which can be
handled by a teacher without proper qualifications. What we actually
need in the twenty first century is a system of beginning education
which is based on what is now known about how young childen learn
and how their minds develop; and in the case of English, this includes
the knowledge of how young children learn languages.
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5
Primary
157
English Language Education Reform in Malaysia T his chapter focuses on English language education
(henceforth “ELE”) at primary level, the aim of which is to
The Roadmap 2015-2025 provide pupils with a strong foundation in English so that
they can develop into proficient, articulate and confident users
Chapter 5: Primary of the language. Chapter 5 examines the current situation with
respect to the curriculum, initiatives that have been carried out,
158 and current learner performance.
The chapter then discusses issues and gaps that need to be
addressed and presents the way forward for primary ELE within the
broader framework of the English Language Roadmap which seeks,
among other things, to align curriculum, teaching and learning,
and assessment to the CEFR, and to align ELE at primary level to
ELE at secondary and tertiary levels. The chapter concludes with
recommendations and implications for policy.
5.1 Background
One of the aims in educating Malaysian children is to enable
them to develop into knowledgeable individuals who are able to
function with confidence in a competitive world. To achieve that
aim, they have to be equipped with the languages that they will
need to communicate in social and economic situations and other
challenging environments. Primary education is a fundamental
stage for these efforts to be galvanised.
An aspiration expressed in the MEB is for students to be iv. appreciate and demonstrate understanding of English literary
proficient in at least two languages, including English. The MEB or creative works for enjoyment; and
emphasises the importance of English proficiency in the competitive
global environment even as it exhorts students to master the v. use correct and appropriate rules of grammar in speech and
national language, Bahasa Melayu. ELE in primary schools is framed writing.
and guided by the Standards-Based Primary School Curriculum
or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (henceforth “KSSR”). It (KPM, DSK English, p. 4)
is supported by a range of initiatives directly related to literacy in
English in line with the MBMMBI policy. The underlying principles of the KSSR English syllabus are:
5.1.1 KSSR - The Current Primary School Curriculum i. It is essential to begin with basic literacy skills in order to build
language skills on strong foundations;
The English syllabus, which forms part of the KSSR introduced
in 2011 to replace the KBSR (Integrated Curriculum for Primary ii. Learning should be fun, meaningful and purposeful;
Schools), aims to provide pupils with basic language skills to enable
them to communicate effectively in different contexts appropriate iii. Teaching should be learner-centred;
to their level of development. The objectives of KSSR English are for
pupils to be able by Year 6 to: iv. Important new technologies should be integrated into teaching
and learning;
i. communicate in English with peers and adults confidently and
appropriately in formal and informal situations; v. Assessment should be integrated and contribute to learning;
ii. read and comprehend a range of English texts for information vi. Character-building should be included in the lessons.
and enjoyment;
The KSSR English content and learning standards describe
iii. write a range of texts using appropriate language, style and the knowledge, skills and understandings that pupils need to
form through a variety of media; demonstrate as they progress through the different stages of
schooling. The inclusion of a module on grammar emphasises the
importance of having pupils develop a sound grasp of the language
structures and the grammar of Standard English. The teaching of
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grammar is more overt and linked directly to the relevant and READING
appropriate tasks and situations identified in the learning of
the four language skills. The grammar module is introduced LISTENING KSSR WRITING
only from Year 3 onwards. Teachers are expected to identify aND CURRICULUM
relevant grammar items to teach according to the learning
situations and materials used in lessons. sPEAKING AND
MODULES
The approach taken in the syllabus stresses the need
for pupils to develop all four language skills: listening and GRAMMAR LANGUAGE
speaking, reading, and writing. Apart from the four skills, ARTS
the curriculum incorporates standards for the language arts
and grammar. Pupils are expected to learn how to interact Figure 5.1 The KSSR English
with peers, listen attentively, express themselves orally or Syllabus Modules
in writing with confidence, read with comprehension and
write with minimal grammatical errors. In the language
arts module, pupils are trained to show appreciation and
demonstrate understanding of texts, read, sing songs,
recite rhymes and poems, as well as to produce creative
works for enjoyment. Pupils are also encouraged to plan,
prepare and take part in performances based on stories,
poems and novels.
The KSSR English syllabus is modular in design, and
includes four modules for Years 1 and 2, and five for other
years (with the addition of grammar), as shown in Figure 5.1.
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The grammar module is introduced only in Year 3 on the grounds 5.1.2 Current English language performance in primary schools
that pupils need good foundations in the grammar of their first language
to support learning the grammar of a second or third language. The In 2013, two years after the introduction of the KSSR, a baseline
modular structure employed in KSSR English is to enable pupils to study on the current state of English proficiency in schools was
focus on the development of basic language skills or sub-skills under commissioned by the Ministry and undertaken by Cambridge English.
each module by means of purposeful activities in meaningful contexts. The study used the CEFR proficiency scale A1 to C2. Table 5.1 shows
data obtained from the Cambridge Baseline (2013, pp. 16-18) on the
The modular arrangement is strictly one of focus and purpose percentages of Primary Year 6 students at different CEFR levels.
to guide the learning and teaching of the language. During lessons,
teachers are expected to aim to develop the skills that are at the CEFR Proficiency Level % of Year 6 pupils
focus of the module. However, other language skills are included
in the lesson to make learning more meaningful and effective. C2
This approach is intended to ensure that teachers treat the four
language skills equally without neglecting any one skill. C1
In view of the need to prepare Malaysian children for the B2 1
globalised world and to lay down strong foundations in the early
years, a more internationally oriented view of ELE needs to B1 12
be taken, even at primary level. This is reflected in the decision
taken by the Ministry of Education to adopt the CEFR as the A2 22
framework of reference for ELE (MEB, p. 4-9). The existing KSSR
will consequently need to be reviewed and aligned to the CEFR. A1 34
It is perhaps fortunate that the KSSR is itself a standards-based
curriculum which specifies the knowledge and skills that pupils Below A1 32
need to demonstrate as they listen, speak, read and write in English
at various stages of schooling. TABLE 5.1 Percentages of Year 6 students
at different CEFR levels in 2013
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Only one in three of the students gets beyond A1 (Basic urban, rural and “remote” schools (pp. 46-54) indicates that rural
User level) by Year 6. Another one in three does not even get as children generally lag behind those in urban areas. There is thus
far as A1. Although the mean scores for Writing correspond to a need to address this divide between the high and low achievers
a low A2, the corresponding figures for Listening, Reading and through effective remedial or intervention efforts.
Speaking are in A1, “making the four skills generally comparable in
development” (p. 18). One such initiative that was implemented even before the study
was conducted is the LINUS 2.0 literacy programme. LINUS 2.0 is
Despite six years of English, a large proportion of the students one of a range of initiatives carried out by the Ministry of Education,
cannot get beyond the most rudimentary command of the language. with varying degrees of success. The following section looks at some
These results for the Year 6 sample are, of course, indicative of initiatives that specifically address ELE in Primary schools.
the outcome of the previous KSBR English Language curriculum.
The current KSSR curriculum, even before its alignment with 5.1.3 Literacy and assessment initiatives in primary schools
international standards, requires its learners to be able to perform
a range of language tasks with confidence and flexibility at the end The Ministry of Education has carried out a range of initiatives
of Year 6. Clearly, if learners are ever to achieve the objectives of concerning English literacy, the incorporation of learning
the CEFR-aligned KSSR, substantially greater efforts amounting standards, remedial support, professional development, the
to reform have to be made to help them move beyond basic user revamping of examinations and assessments, teacher support and
proficiency at primary level. In addition, if the learners are to reach strengthening of English language policy, as well as the up-skilling
a target level of B2 (Independent User) on exit from secondary of teachers. Although some success has been achieved through
education five years later, standards of English achieved by Year 6 these initiatives, not all initiatives have brought about the desired
must be raised considerably. results. This section focuses on initiatives that relate specifically to
remedial literacy support and assessment in primary schools.
The range in the CEFR levels for Year 6 points to another
concern. The gap between high and low achievers “signals
a variation in learning gains” at the end of primary school, and
this gap is likely to widen further in secondary school (p.18). In
considering school location, a three-way distinction between
162
Year Screening 1 Screening 2
English Year 1 (2013) Target Achievement Target Achievement
Language Year 2 (2014)
Literacy Baseline 50.1% 67% 63.3%
83% 65.5% 83% 78.3%
Year 1 (2014) Baseline 53.8% 67% 70.2%
TABLE 5.2 English literacy results for LINUS 2.0
LINUS 2.0 While these results seem to indicate a degree of success, the
findings of a 2013 report on the programme pointed out a number
LINUS 1.0 was an early remedial literacy programme introduced of weaknesses in the modules that need to be addressed. Some of
in 2010 to help learners who were falling behind. Building on the concerns raised are elementary. There does not appear to be
improvements in Malay literacy and numeracy achieved on the a clear theoretical framework underlying the preparation of the
pilot run in 2012, LINUS 2.0 was introduced in 2013 to extend materials. A phonics-based approach is employed, but its emphasis
the programme to English. Students in Years 1 to 3 are screened on the recognition of associations between letters and sounds is
twice a year to check that they are making the expected progress incompatible with the goal of learning to read to extract meaning
in English literacy, and those falling behind are brought together from texts. The attempt to reconcile the two incompatible goals
for ten English classes per week and given remedial coaching until results in inane stories and sentences. There is also a lack of clear
they are able to return to the mainstream. alignment between the objectives of each module and those of
the LINUS programme and the national curriculum. In addition,
The ultimate goal of LINUS 2.0 for English is to achieve the programme does not use innovative strategies and materials
100% basic English literacy by the end of three years of primary to teach learners to apply the skills they have already developed in
schooling. Table 5.2 presents the results obtained after screenings order to become independent learners of English. Finally, there is
conducted in 2013 and 2014. The results show that achievement is no clear statement of what students are expected to be able to do
slightly below the national target for the first cohort of pupils and on the successful completion of a module. Other problems lie in
above the target for the second.
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the content itself, ranging from erroneous use of phonetic symbols related to teachers in these five districts included the inability to
to confusing illustrations to inappropriate sequencing of learning teach phonics, inability to carry out skill-focused teaching and
material. learning activities, the assignment of non-English option teachers
to teach English, and the inability to carry out remedial teaching.
Problems were also identified in an evaluation exercise carried
out in 2014 on the implementation of the programme by the In terms of teaching and learning, teachers were unable to
Schools Division in Pahang, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. A total carry out differentiated teaching to address the specific needs
of 25 districts which had the largest number of hot spot schools of individual pupils. They were also unable to organise learning
were selected for the exercise, the main aim being to ensure that activities to interest and motivate learners. This shortcoming
the officers at the District Education Office were responsible in might explain the high absenteeism rate amongst the remedial
carrying out intervention programmes in schools that did not meet learners, who lacked the motivation to attend school because
the target, and to find out whether the exercise had an impact on school was not fun for them. The findings also showed a lack of
pupils. support from parents.
Six aspects were studied: management, facilitation, teachers, If the gap in achievement between high-performing and
teaching and learning, pupils and parents. The findings showed low-performing students is to be addressed, a remedial literacy
that in terms of management, there were still some school heads programme like LINUS 2.0 is exactly the kind of initiative that is
who were not committed to running this programme in schools, needed. However, LINUS 2.0 needs to be improved and reworked
due in part to the lack of trained English teachers. Support was according to some well-defined principles, with clear and realistic
provided by FasiLINUS Bahasa Inggeris (facilitators for Literacy objectives and content.
and Numeracy Screening) coaches and mentors appointed by the
Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU) to assist teachers. School-Based Assessment
While most of the FasiLINUS were found to have carried out Along with the KSSR, school-based assessment (henceforth
their duties well, some did not, attributing the slack to insufficient “SBA”) has also been implemented as the way forward for
allocations for travel and carrying out activities, and to the burden assessing learning. SBA enables teachers to conduct assessment
of other extraneous duties at the district office level. Problems
164
that contributes to learning in a formative manner, rather than or mainly those two skills. The integration of skills seems to be
merely a summative manner. In addition, the national examinations addressed in the current KSSR, which combines a skills-based
and school-based assessments have been revamped to gradually modular approach with thematic focus. The need now is to align
increase the percentage of questions that test higher-order thinking the assessment of the skills to international standards.
skills. In 2016, there will be a change in assessment for the Primary
6 (UPSR) examinations, so that school-based assessment and Support for teachers
centralised exam marks will be considered for grading. The change
will include higher-order thinking questions in the centralised A number of other initiatives have been implemented to
examinations making up 40% of questions for the UPSR. This provide professional support for EL teachers albeit with varying
change in examination design means that teachers will focus less on degrees of success.
teaching to the test and focus instead on teaching learners to think
critically and to apply their knowledge in order to solve problems. In the English Native Speaker Mentoring Programme, the
Ministry has employed native speakers as experts or mentors
The direction that SBA is taking should also bring about a change to assist in capacity building of primary school English teachers
in EL assessment. Instead of focusing on providing correct answers and lecturers at teacher-training institutions in this country. The
to examination questions, EL learners should be assessed on what programme was implemented from 2011 to 2013 and further
they can do and achieve in English. This kind of focus calls for an extended to September 2015.
alignment between curriculum and assessment based on a framework
that spells out what students should be able to do in English at At present, it involves 360 mentors placed in 1800 schools
each stage of their primary education, and acts as a guideline for nationwide. The mentors have been involved in planning and
formative school-based assessment. Teachers will have to be trained carrying out professional development programmes, activities and
to understand the concept and implement relevant SBA. workshops, as well as assisting in teaching and learning. They
have 75 hours of contact time with teachers in one academic year
A change in assessment should also see a greater balance in the as well as during training sessions held within a cluster or inter-
development and assessment of the four language skills. Hitherto, cluster. They have also been instrumental in conducting action
Reading and Writing have received much more attention because research as well as co-curriculum activities within their cluster.
of the nature of tests and examinations that typically test only
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In order to study the impact of the programme, teachers’ The results showed an increase in the proficiency levels of the
proficiency levels were assessed through observations and instruments teachers in this programme. A pertinent question here is whether
in February and October 2014. A total of 4,369 teachers were involved the current programme of deploying native speaker mentors at
in this exercise covering 1,800 schools in the programme. Six levels what must certainly be a high cost is sustainable. An urgent need
of proficiency were used expressed as CEFR “can do” statements, as is to phase out the use of people from abroad and instead employ
shown in Table 5.3: suitably qualified local people with the necessary skills. In addition,
positive steps need to be taken to develop future English-speaking
LEVEL “CAN DO” STATEMENT Malaysians who are comfortable and confident enough with the
C2 language to act as mentors. This effort will have to start with
C1 Can express herself spontaneously, very fluently and young learners.
B2 precisely
B1 Advantage is taken of the expertise of teachers who can
A2 Can use language flexibly and effectively for become resources for their colleagues in another initiative, namely
academic and professional purposes SISC+ (School Improvement Subject Specialist Coaches) at the
District Education Offices. The SISC+ are assigned the task of
Can interact with a degree of fluency and further improving the teaching and learning of English in line with
spontaneity. Can understand the main ideas of the transformation of the system as stipulated in MEB Shift Four.
Expert teachers are deployed to Bands 5, 6 and 7 schools to coach
complex text teachers and support them so that the curriculum is implemented
Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst as intended. There are currently 800 English Language SISC+
coaches operating throughout the country.
travelling
The MoE has initiated a number of in-service training courses
Can communicate in simple and routine tasks for English Language Teachers through the Teacher Education
Division and English Language Teaching Centre (henceforth
A1 Can interact in a simple way “ELTC”). These courses are developed specially to improve teachers’
proficiency and pedagogical skills. As there is a considerable number
TABLE 5.3 CEFR “CAN DO” STATEMENTS FOR
SIX LEVELS OF PROFICIENCY
166
Teachers need
to be given
continuous
professional
development
and training.
of non-optionists teaching English in schools, courses are formulated own professional training needs. In addition, it can also be used as
to meet their needs to help them in teaching and learning as well a guide by the Ministry when planning, designing and managing the
as to boost their confidence in using the language. ELTC has been professional development of English teachers.
instrumental in developing courses and have disseminated these
courses on a face-to-face basis over the years. The MoE has also rolled out additional teaching resources
to help teachers to implement the KSSR more effectively in the
In 2012, all English language teachers, both in-service and pre- classroom. These include supporting materials such as video
service as well as lecturers in institutes of teacher education took the libraries of exemplary teaching. Since 10 April 2013, English
Cambridge Placement Test (CPT). The results showed that 70,000 teachers have been able to access MoE’s e-Guru Portal which is
of the English Language Teachers assessed were not competent a virtual library of classroom practices 1. Infrastructural and ICT
users of English. The ELTC was given the task of upskilling these support, however, has not always been of the necessary standard.
teachers and has worked with the British Council to conduct Teacher For example, the Auditor General’s Report for 2013 drew
Proficiency Up-skilling courses (Pro-ELT) throughout the country. attention to the ineffectiveness of the 1BestariNet project which
The Pedagogy Standards for English Language Teaching (PSELT) was responsible for providing high-speed 4G broadband and a
developed by the ELTC was an initiative to help English teachers virtual learning environment (VLE) to 10,000 schools throughout
to monitor their own professional development and identify their the country from December 2011. 89% of the schools surveyed
1 Available on line at pnp.moe.gov.my/eguru.
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Curriculum KBSR KSSR
Schools
Sekolah Kebangsaan Sekolah Jenis Sekolah Kebangsaan Sekolah Jenis
Level 1 (Years 1 - 3) Kebangsaan Kebangsaan
240 mins 60 mins 300 mins 150 mins
Level 2 (Years 4 - 6) 210 mins 90 mins 300 mins 180 mins
TABLE 5.4 A comparison of time allocated for English in the KBSR and KSSR
reported limited access even within the school compound. Much English teachers are thus the most important, and sometimes
improvement needs to be made to ensure a smooth and effective the only models for these students, and classroom activities provide
support system. the only opportunities to use the language for a purpose. The
challenge is to provide enough engagement time with English for
While the efforts made through the initiatives are commendable, the students to develop familiarity with and fluency in the language.
the Ministry needs to make a serious evaluation of the impact of its
EL initiatives. A single entity should be tasked with coordinating More time for English was allocated in the KSSR than in the
and overseeing the implementation of the initiatives and assessing former KBSR, as shown in Table 5.4. The time currently available
their outcomes so that resources and labour are appropriately for English constitutes 21.7% of total class time for Years 1 to 3,
targeted, distributed and monitored. and 23% for Years 4 to 6. However, the 2013 Cambridge Baseline
study reports that “too much instruction in the classroom may
5.1.4 Teachers’ and Learners’ Engagement with English be taking place in the learners’ first language” (p. 22). According
to Cambridge English (p. 23), the limited use of English in the
In order to develop a good command of English, learners need classroom is due to several factors:
sufficient engagement with it. At primary level, especially in rural
areas, very few learners if any are exposed to the language outside • teachers’ lack of proficiency and confidence
school. Learners are in practice exposed to English mainly through
structured instruction in the classroom. • teachers’ perception that learners cannot understand lessons
conducted fully in English
168
• the nature of activities such as drilling and reading aloud, are meaningful for them.
which do not give learners opportunities to use English
communicatively. In addition to the lack of a rich English language environment
within the classroom, the report also noted the lack of a supportive
Teacher proficiency, or lack of it, is a real concern. In order for English environment outside the classroom. Serious efforts need
English teachers to be appropriate models and a language source for to be made to gain support from parents and the community so
learners, they should in principle be proficient users themselves to that they work hand in hand with school authorities in developing
begin with, and following the usual rule of thumb, they need to be programmes and activities that increase children’s engagement
at least one level ahead of their students. The Results Report shows with English. The possibility of obtaining assistance from retired
that 29% of primary teachers fall below CEFR B2, which is the level EL teachers and lecturers, English-speaking professionals and
of an Independent user. If the proficiency level of Primary students is volunteers has largely been unexplored and unexploited.
to be raised, so must that of teachers. The teachers who presented
themselves for the baseline study assessment do not appear to There is already in existence a small number of schools such as
constitute a representative sample of the whole population of SKTaman Megah in Kuala Lumpur, SJK(T) DurianTunggal in Melaka
teachers, and the results are likely to present a somewhat optimistic and SK Tan Sri Ghazali Jawi in Grik that have been successfully
impression of the overall situation, which makes the actual situation implementing programmes with the active involvement of parents
even more difficult. For example, about 31.7% of teachers currently and members of the community. A concerted effort could be made
teaching English in schools are not English optionists. to study the strategies they employ as a guide to other schools.
The report also noted a tendency for lessons to be teacher- In spite of the KSSR curriculum, which is an improvement over
dominated, resulting in the reduction of time for learners to the KBSR, and the various initiatives carried out, ELE in Primary
produce the language. Teacher-dominated classes are not a new schools is beset with issues relating to curriculum, teaching and
phenomenon and are inconsistent with the principle of learner- learning, and assessment, as discussed in the following section.
centredness expounded in the KSSR. If ELE is to be effective,
teachers need to be better trained to (a) make teaching learner-
centred and (b) use differentiated instruction in the classroom for
learners at different levels of proficiency so that learning activities
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English Language Education Reform in Malaysia
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CURRICULUM TEACHING & LEARNING ASSESSMENT 5.2 Issues and Gaps
Current curriculum Low teacher Lack of knowledge This section looks at current
and learning standards proficiency levels regarding assessment issues and gaps (Figure 5.2) in
not aligned with Lack of clarity on principles and methods primary English language education
international standards teacher competencies Lack of balanced and which need to be addressed.
Teachers not required for various discrete testing of all
sufficiently equipped stages and levels four language skills 5.2.1 CURRICULUM
to interpret and deliver of learning Limited ability in using
curriculum document Lack of skills in formative assessment The need to align the current
Need for effective conducting effective to support learning curriculum and learning to
remedial programmes remediation for Need for alignment to international standards
Insufficient English learning difficulties international standards
engagement time and disabilities In view of the need to prepare
Lack of English- Under-developed Malaysian children for the
rich environment aesthetic/creative competitive global environment,
with opportunities language use the existing KSSR needs to
for purposeful and be reviewed and aligned to an
contextualised internationally recognised set
use of English of standards for EL learners. A
Need for parental and curriculum based on international
community involvement standards, with the support of
a quality delivery teaching and
FIGURE 5.2 Issues in Primary English Language Education learning system, will give learners
a stronger foundation in English in
the primary years.
170
The need for improvement in the interpretation and delivery of the The need for effective remedial programmes
curriculum
In 2014, the LINUS programme was expanded to include the
The quality of classroom instruction is contingent upon the development of basic literacy and numeracy in English (referred
skills and subject matter knowledge of the teachers entrusted to as LINUS 2.0). While this noteworthy and timely programme
with the delivery of the curriculum. To optimise the impact of a provides support to all pupils in the mainstream, it has shortcomings.
language curriculum, teachers need to be not only model users of It lacks a strong theoretical foundation and clear objectives, and
the target language themselves but also familiar with the underlying its content needs to be closely re-examined. In addition, it does
principles and approaches advocated by the curriculum. They have not have specific components for helping pupils with learning
to be confident, competent and creative in their interpretation of difficulties such as dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity
the curriculum to develop suitable, well-planned and engaging disorder (ADHD). With the implementation of ELE reform and
classroom activities to optimise their pupils’ learning of the the setting of CEFR targets for Primary schools, there will also be
language. a need to develop other remedial programmes for students who
are not yet able to achieve the targets for Years 4-6.
The preferred method of dissemination of a centrally
developed curriculum is by cascading it down the different Insufficient English Language engagement time
levels of the Ministry, from the Federal agency responsible for
curriculum development down to the schools via the state and Learners currently do not have sufficient engagement time
district education offices. However, the cascade method of with English in order to gain familiarity with the language and
curriculum dissemination and induction is beset with challenges confidence in using it. Engagement time needs to be increased,
such as dilution, misrepresentation and misinterpretation as the particularly for students in national-type schools (SRJK), where
training unfolds down the different levels of the system before it the medium of instruction is Mandarin or Tamil, for whom English
reaches the teachers. Sometimes the essence and aspirations of class time is less than that in national schools (SK).
the curriculum are lost in the transmission to the classroom.
171
English Language Education Reform in Malaysia
The Roadmap 2015-2025
Opportunities for
active language
engagement have
to be created for
young learners.
The lack of an English-rich environment providing purposeful engagement with English is needed in both formal, structured
and contextualised use of English contexts and informal, less structured contexts.
Related to the issue of insufficient engagement with English Parental and Community Engagement
is the need for more purposeful and contextualised use of the All over the world, it has been seen that school programmes
language. At present, Malaysian students study English only as an
academic subject in the EL classroom. According to the literature are most successful when parents and the community support and
on second language learning, however, effective and enhanced engage in school activities and events. This is a resource which
learning takes place best in immersion situations (Lightbown is currently insufficiently exploited by Malaysian schools, partly
& Spada, 2013) where the second language is also used for because most schools do not have well-planned programmes and
communicative purposes outside the academic setting. Since an partly because parents and community members themselves are
immersion programme is not possible in the current social and not fully cognizant of the impact their involvement can make.
education situation in Malaysia, we need to create opportunities There is thus a need to design programmes, such as teacher-aide
for learners to use the language for communicative purposes programmes, EL immersion camps and EL club activities, which
beyond the EL classroom. For optimal and sustained learning,
172
clearly define and explain the roles that parents and members of the The lack of clarity on teacher competencies required for the
community can play in supporting EL learning in primary school. primary EL programme
The involvement of parents and communities will in this way assist
in the creation and sustainment of English-rich environments. The current KSSR makes specific demands of teachers. For
instance, in Stage 1 (i.e. Years 1-3), phonics is included as a focus
5.2.2 Teaching and Learning area under reading. Teachers handling this early but crucial stage
of learning need to have a grounding in phonics so that their pupils
Low teacher proficiency levels will benefit optimally from phonemic awareness development as
a first step towards independent reading. A critical question to
The translation of the English language curriculum into ask to ensure curricular fidelity among teachers is whether English
suitable, meaningful and purposeful classroom learning activities teachers are sufficiently acquainted with phonics and thus able to
requires teachers to be acquainted with effective pedagogies as independently develop phonics support for their students.
well as to have a sound command of the target language. Unless
both of these aspects are addressed in the EL teachers’ initial The Ministry needs to identify the critical teacher competencies
training and continuous professional development, the quality of that are required for the effective delivery of the English curriculum
the delivery of the English curriculum in schools will most likely in primary and secondary schools. This important step in
be compromised. Statistics published by the Ministry indicate enhancing curriculum compliance requires collaboration between
that in 2012 according to the Cambridge Placement Test, 70,000 teacher education, curriculum development and other related
teachers required further support in the target language. A total of agencies in the Ministry. In recent years, the Ministry has rolled
15,012 (Cohort 2012-2015) of these teachers have since taken the out initiatives to address teacher competencies such as the Native
EL Teachers Proficiency Up-skilling course (PRO-ELT) run by the Speaker Programme (from 2011-2015), the Pro-ELT programme
English Language Training Centre, which focuses specifically on (2012 onwards), and the introduction of English language School
teachers’ English proficiency. These efforts need to be continued. Improvement Specialist Coaches (SISC+), which was piloted and
implemented in 2013-2014.
These initiatives attempted to focus on improving teachers’
English proficiency and pedagogical skill sets. However, there is
173
English Language Education Reform in Malaysia
The Roadmap 2015-2025
a notable lack in teachers’ classroom practice with regard to the 5.2.3 Assessment
handling of mixed-ability classrooms. Differentiated instruction
to cater to specific individual needs is an area of professional The lack of knowledge regarding assessment principles and
development that the Ministry must address in the pre-service and methods
in-service development of English language teachers.
Assessment in KSSR emphasises the holistic achievement
The lack of skills in implementing effective remedial intervention of an individual in the learning process. The KSSR emphasises
continuous formative assessment as an integral part of learning
Related to the lack of effective remedial programmes is the lack which enables teachers to assess the extent to which pupils have
of requisite skills among English teachers to identify, manage and fulfilled the learning standards targeted. However, teachers still
support children with learning difficulties. Many of these learning need to be given adequate training in assessment principles,
difficulties need to be addressed early in a child’s development and methods and techniques to enable them to carry out the relevant
it is imperative that our primary teachers have the necessary skills assessment as well as in the analysis, interpretation and use of the
to provide the support these children need. assessment data to plan remediation and follow-up activities that
contribute to the holistic development of the learner.
Under-development of creative language use The lack of balanced and discrete testing of all four language skills
As one of the five language learning modules in the KSSR, In language teaching and learning, the need to undertake a
the Language Arts component provides a means for teachers to balanced and discrete testing of all four language skills cannot be
introduce fun learning and expose children to creative language overemphasised. It is often observed that teachers do not place as
use in the classroom. Unfortunately, teachers are not always much importance on assessing listening and speaking skills in our
adequately trained to exploit the opportunity effectively. Teachers primary schools.
need to be equipped with skills to help learners appreciate quality
language models found in children’s literature as well as to develop
creative language use in a variety of contexts and modes.
174
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