Much had been written on this topic over the years, as our standard of English declines alarmingly, according to educationists, employers and government leaders.
From my experience, it was a rise and fall of English standard: parents used to be illiterate or poor in English language; some sent their children to English schools and even England where they could compete with the locals without being handicapped by the medium of instruction. But with the general decline in standard of English now, some children's command of the language could be worse than their parents! We can trace the problem lies in our education system where there was a major change in emphasis from English to Malay or Bahasa Malaysia mainly because of nationalistic objectives.
To improve, I think a 'carrot and stick' method could be helpful. We know that English is very important in information technology and international trade. Yet, some parents refuse to recognize this fact and prefer to send their children to Chinese or Tamil schools where they are likely to clique among themselves. As for national schools, the lack of emphasis on English is evident in the language not made compulsory for SPM, the examinations for Form 5 students. Believe me, the best way to make students improve any language is to make it a compulsory subject. The students and parents will ensure that they will put their mind and money where it matters.
If good job prospects do not entice them (future, not immediate), we should make the study of English interesting with the aid of computers (common now), and create incentives by rewarding those who achieve good results. We need good teachers with excellent command of the language and they could be found if only they are offered competitive remuneration. Language also needs practice to make perfect, so the students should be made to use it as much as possible. Over to you, Ibrahim Ali!
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