Monday, March 9, 2009

Excuse me, I don't Speak English... (?)

If they want to know how a rural student really struggle learning Math and Science in English, do not look to far. Here I am. I was strugling real hard I almost dropped out of my first-year Engineering course in a local university.

I cursed all those years I learned Math and Science in BM. Nobody warned me that all technical subject in university will be taught in English. Nobody told me that all my thick reference books which are mostly imported would be in English! I cursed them real hard!

All the while, I was among the smart one in schools. Come preparatory and my first year, I felt so stupid I couldn't even fathom what is a 'matter' in chemical terms. Lots of time and energy wasted just trying to relearn everything again.

I have known something like this would happen, when they first implemented the PPSMI. I remembered back those years when they tried to implement Bahasa Baku. It was just too hard for them, in the end they licked back their own spit. They couldn't just care to try hard enough, and long enough to see it through they just rather admit defeat and return back to 'wherever they came from', which is their comfort zone. Duh! I don't remember Sabah and Sarawak having difficulty in adapting?

They could have just wait until the first batch who were taught M&S in English to go through their university year. By then, the statistic would have been complete and fair for analysis.

Trained more teachers under TESL programme, create another sub-programme to teach M&S in English too. Send them to the field for few years, and concurrently, upgrade our current teacher with diploma or degree in TESL too! Promise you there'll be no teachers going loco over teaching something that they don't know. Otherwise, just stop being a teacher!

Who say that Bahasa Malaysia oopss Bahasa Melayu 'akan hilang di dunia'? It is not my first language and yet I can write a Malay novel if I want to!

If they are so adamant, why don't they help to translate all technical reference books to BM.. and while they are at it, make a rule that all organization whether it is govermental or private organization to use BM. Haha. I can imagine the day my office turn to a BM speaking environment.

As the sms comment in The Star sent by a dear reader today, "Government, just because there were a thousand of people strike against the use of English in M&E, pls do not forget the millions of other Malaysian who support it by not showing up.."

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

haha...i remember my cerpen selalu kenak pilih by Cikgu Monet...'angkat hidung sendiri nampak'. Wei...bahasa baku senang ma...as long as ur pronounciation betul. Look at my English now...crap! But still people from Malaya think bahasa is damn too difficult...i don't get it.....

Anonymous said...

I like the quote from the star.. "How a bout the millions which didn't show up to support the implementation of PPSMI?

cassie said...

my written english is crappier than it used to be..even my spoken english too since i came to west msia.

reasons..they dun talk english..even manglish..crapss

Anonymous said...

argh...dont remind me of our ESL classes..no!!!

Willie a.k.a Reptoz said...

Hahaha...

Hi Sumuk. It's a pity that you struggled to pass your paper. Yes, I think the govt. made the right move to use English in Maths and Science. It is just that, some people couldn't accept changes. The are short sighted. They do not want to look at the bigger picture. Hahaha...

I guessed, you survived right?

Nimi Momo said...

fonsusz: they just unable to survive under hardship. they rather go to back to their comfort zone.

cyril: true. demo is just an easy way out.

casper: be adamant and speak only English to them.

lvynana: yep. it was so frustrating isn't it? I wish PPSMI was implemented much much earlier.

Willie: Yes, we survived. But we could have fare much better if we had a better grasp of all the technical terms in BI from the very beginning.

Anonymous said...

i think if they buat survey betul2... especially to students... byk yg support PPSMI... Including me.... bukan nak menganak tiri kan BM... tapi tats it... the easy way to learn is in BI... BM susah... lagipun byk word BI yg di BM kan... so, tak perlu susah2 nak meng-BM kan ayat... Guna jak english... Lagi senang....

Anonymous said...

lagipun,if govt nak folo yg nak mansuh kan PPSMI tu... lagi buang duit... buku for students kena tukar lagi... dah ekonomi tak bagus... nak ubah lagi... kan lagi memburrukan keadaan yg sedia buruk... pergh!!! :D

Coffee Girl said...

Since everyone is 'angkat bakul'... then I can proudly say I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BOTH LANGUAGES. In fact, I excelled at both, and whether you interchanged them, I can still adapt. Like I believe all the millions who didnt show up are too. :-) It's not about the policies or the languages or cultures or patriotism, it's really all about me and you.

So boohoo to all the protesters. That says a lot about you guys. Hah.

Nimi Momo said...

amiey alen : nak seribu daya, taknak seribu dalih.. kan kan..

One Other: it's fortunate for you that you excel at both. For us, it was a struggle, but we survived through the hardship. Some people don't, and they make demo.

Pn Hamidah said...

I don't understand all this fuss about PPSMI. Where I come from, it was all English for all subjects except BM of course.Whatever it is obviously a serious and conclusive study based on solid facts and research will need to be done before the government decide on it.If you ask me,personally I'm all for PPSMI but for now I would choose to leave sentiments or emotions out of it.

Anonymous said...

Darwin summed it all 'survival of the fittest!'

RWP said...

this is the case of 'gohed' and 'gostan'. im so pening arrr...

u r right, we don't even speak 'baku BM'. if u do, pp will laugh at u (pelik). but then again we malaysian like to listen to Indonesian songs than local BM sings. (why so?) maybe because they speak 'baku BM'.

(apa-apa pun) sarawak ppl speak better 'baku BM'. mun sik pun leh kak swk jak. mun sik pun (rojak) english also can go.

 
Blog Makeover by Jean Chia | Doggie Illustration by Dapino, Edited by Jean Chia