Lecturers lack English Fluency

There is at least one V-C would dared to accept the truth and admit it and such attitude will surely lead to improvements of the system management of universities. The other V-Cs are still in a state of denial.

University Malaya (MU) vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim admitted and openly called on all public universities in Malaysia needed to accept the fact openly and overcome the problem of lecturers who are not proficient in English.

According to Rafiah, the problem of the lack of proficiencies of English language of many lecturers is directly attributed to the educational system that had focused only on Bahasa Malaysia over the past decades.

"Only recently had English been given priority," she said.

It's about 30 years since Mahathir who was then education minister decided to level the playing fields of the various races in universities by abandoning English as the primary language of education. This way, the Malays from the rural schools will be able to compete based on meritocracy. However, the Indians and Chinese who were generally weaker in Bahasa were quick to adapt and adopt the language. Today, most Chinese and Indians in schools have compatible competency in Bahasa and at such, the competitive advantage diminished.

Before Mahathir retired, he knew he has to right the wrong as he had seen how most Malaysian graduates from local universities are floating below par excellence in the face of globalisation, the ICT global revolution and the effect of the open economy. So, English was re-introduced into Schools for Science and Mathematics, and other subjects. But the collateral damage was done and it will take at least 20 years to rectify the situation and return the system back to ground zero, from where we left behind. Unfortunately, the other countries had gone so far ahead and catching-up becomes onerous and sapping. Even China with decades of closedoor policy had placed greater emphasis on English. It is now compulsory for taxi drivers in China to pass the English test.

The difficulty is not about students inability in English; it's the lecturers inability to teach the subjects in English at universities and that students are complaining that they didn't understand what the lecturers are saying because their English is spoken in African slang.

Until the lecturers are competent to do so, the system will continue to generate graduates with English baked in African pizzas.