Creative Thinking Saved a Day
Intensive English Language Program for Overseas Students at Malaysian Private Tertiary Education Institutions
Oktavia R. Nurtjahja Intensive English Program School of Pre-University Studies Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus Malaysia oktavia.r@curtin.edu.my
Noraisikin Sabani Intensive English Program School of Pre-University Studies Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus Malaysia noraisikin.s@curtin.edu.my
INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS AT MALAYSIAN PRIVATE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
ABSTRACT As Malaysia is positioning itself to be a regional center of educational excellence, efforts are taken to recruit international students from other countries in the region to pursue international tertiary education, with English as the language of instruction. It is an acceptable fact that most countries within the region place English as a foreign language, thus, the majority of students coming from these countries do not possess the command of English language required to study at a tertiary level. Therefore, as an international education provider, Malaysia has to cater for this need. This paper aims to highlight the competitive advantages and limitations that Malaysia has in terms of providing the English language program that overseas students need. It also explores possible strategies to overcome the limitations. The discussion is focused on Malaysian private tertiary education institutions. It mainly stemmed from a critical analysis of Malaysian education system as well as the socio and cultural aspects of Malaysia. It also incorporates data from informal discussions with English teachers and international students.
I.
INTRODUCTION
The importance of English in this globalized world can no longer be denied. It is now the language used by people from all over the world to discuss business, science, technology and research (Tan 2005). To be a global citizen, one needs to possess the command of English
Oktavia R. Nurtjahja Intensive English Program School of Pre-University Studies Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus Malaysia oktavia.r@curtin.edu.my
Noraisikin Sabani Intensive English Program School of Pre-University Studies Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus Malaysia noraisikin.s@curtin.edu.my
INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS AT MALAYSIAN PRIVATE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
ABSTRACT As Malaysia is positioning itself to be a regional center of educational excellence, efforts are taken to recruit international students from other countries in the region to pursue international tertiary education, with English as the language of instruction. It is an acceptable fact that most countries within the region place English as a foreign language, thus, the majority of students coming from these countries do not possess the command of English language required to study at a tertiary level. Therefore, as an international education provider, Malaysia has to cater for this need. This paper aims to highlight the competitive advantages and limitations that Malaysia has in terms of providing the English language program that overseas students need. It also explores possible strategies to overcome the limitations. The discussion is focused on Malaysian private tertiary education institutions. It mainly stemmed from a critical analysis of Malaysian education system as well as the socio and cultural aspects of Malaysia. It also incorporates data from informal discussions with English teachers and international students.
I.
INTRODUCTION
The importance of English in this globalized world can no longer be denied. It is now the language used by people from all over the world to discuss business, science, technology and research (Tan 2005). To be a global citizen, one needs to possess the command of English
References: Abdullah, A. N. & Chan, S.H. 2003, ‘Gaining linguistic capital through a bilingual language policy innovation’, South Asian Language Review, 13, 1&2, pp 100-7. Baskaran, L. M. 2005, A Malaysian English Primer: Aspects of Malaysian English Features, University of Malaya Press, Kuala Lumpur. Binsardi, A.& Ekwulugo, F. 2003, “International marketing of British education: Research on students’ perception and the UK market penetration”, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 21, 5, pp 318-327. Blight, D, Davis, D. and Olsen, A. 2000 ‘The Globalization of Higher Education’, in Scott, P. edited Higher Education Reform, Falmer Press, London Kao, S. F. 2007, ‘Being a native speaker isn’t enough to teach’, Taipei Times, 2 January, Retrieved: 15 Jan, 2007, from http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2007/01/02/2003343075 Lawley, M. 1994. “Factors Influencing the Choice of Dissertation in International University Education: The Case of Hong Kong”, Masters Thesis, University of Southern Queensland 9 Lawley, M. & Perry, C. 1998 ‘Thai and Malaysian students ' perceptions of overseas study destinations: and exploratory study’, A Paper presented at ANZMAC98 Conference. Lee, B.J. 2007, ‘English Orated Here’, Newsweek, February 26, pp. 34-5. Maum, R. 2002, ‘Nonnative-English-speaking teachers in the English teaching profession’, ERIC Digest, December, Washington DC. The Malaysian education system: Overview of public and private education, study in Malaysia handbook (International), 4th edition. Retrieved: 20 July, 2004 from http://www.studymalaysia.com/is/smh4_chap1.shtml Mazzarol, T. & Sourtar G.N. 2001. The Global Market for Higher Education: Sustainable Competitive Strategies for the New Millenium, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. Mazzarol, T., Kemp, S. and Savery, L. 1997. ‘International Students Who Choose Not To Study in Australia: An Examination of Taiwan and Indonesia’, Australian International Education Foundation, AGPS, Canberra Kachru, B.B. & Nelson, C.L. 1996 ‘World Englishes’, in S.L McKay & N.H. Hornberger (eds.), Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching, Cambridge UP, Cambridge. Pillay, H. 1998, ‘The language teacher issues in the teaching of English in Malaysia’, JALT Online Journal, Retrieved: 15 Jan, 2007, from http://www.jaltpublications.org/tlt/files/98/nov/pillay.html Ridge, B. 2004, ‘Bangsa Malaysia and recent Malaysian English language policies’, Current Issues in Language Planning, 5, 4, pp. 407-423. Stewart, K & Felicetti, L. 1991, ‘Marketing a Public University to International Students,’ Journal of Professional Services Marketing, 7, 1, pp 67-74 Tan, A.M. 2002, Malaysian Private Higher Education: Globalization, Privatization, Transformation and Marketplaces, ASEAN Academic Press, London. Tan, P.K.W. 2005, ‘The medium-of-instruction debate in Malaysia: English as a Malaysian Language?’, Language Problems & Language Planning, 29, 1, pp 47-66. Yahaya, M. & Abdullah, I.H. 2003, Challenges of corporatisation and globalization: Educational reform in tertiary education, A paper presented at4th Biennial Comparative Education Society of Asia Conference, 21-22 July 2003. Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung. 10