NILAI: Since its establishment on May 2, 2002, the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC), under the purview of the Education Ministry, continues to strengthen and support the aspirations of the government to enhance, build, develop and sustain the quality of English language education.
The need for English proficiency has become increasingly crucial. English has become the operating system for worldwide conversation, and education is no exception with the infusion of technology in the teaching and learning process, which has brought rapid changes in teaching methodologies.
Recognising the burgeoning role of the English language in daily communications and the areas of science, information technology, business, entertainment as well as politics, ELTC steadfastly provides professional development and continuous support to all in-service English language teachers.
According to ELTC director Farah Mardhy Aman, “This institution serves as a provider for effective and innovative training in research driven best practices for the teaching and learning of English, provides consultancy services to support and promote ELT development locally and regionally, as well as provide recommendations and solutions to issues related to the teaching and learning of English.
“The centre also conducts research to develop innovative, context-appropriate techniques and materials for the teaching and learning of English as well as developing and prescribing standards for the continuing professional development of ELT practitioners.”
The role of ELTC in improving the standards of English language are both recognised and acknowledged in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025.
ELTC is actively and directly involved in the implementation of major English language initiatives outlined in the blueprint, such as the Highly Immersive Programme (HIP), the Professional Upskilling of English Language Teachers (Pro-ELT), the English Language Enhancement in Schools Programme (PPKBIS) and the Dual Language Programme (DLP).
Developed under the MBMMBI policy (upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening Command of English), HIP aims to create a language-rich environment in schools to support students’ learning of the English language. With support from various divisions of the MoE, as well as the State Education Departments and District Education Offices, the programme was rolled out to all states in stages.
To date the HIP has been implemented in 10,000 schools under the MoE and 125 institutions that include teacher training campuses, vocational colleges and Form Six colleges. A marked improvement is seen in students’ involvement and participation in English language activities as well as their confident use of the language as a result of HIP.
The programme encourages schools to engage community partners, retired teachers, lecturers and parents to share their knowledge and expertise in helping schools to create a fun and non-threatening environment for a more effective and efficient acquisition of English.
In 2019, ELTC launched the HIP Mentor programme. Retired school teachers have been mobilised to spend some time in schools of their choice to improve English proficiency.
Pro-ELT aims to strengthen the proficiency of English language option teachers to meet international standards based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It is stipulated in the MEB 2013-2025 and the English Language Education Reform in Malaysia Roadmap 2015-2025 that all English language option teachers should achieve a minimum proficiency level of C1 whilst officers and lecturers must achieve CEFR Level C2.
ELTC takes charge in upskilling the proficiency levels of more than 41,000 English language option teachers serving under the MoE. Currently 62 per cent of the teachers who have taken proficiency tests are at CEFR level C1 and C2. To ensure continuous delivery of quality English language education in the classroom, ELTC also provides continuous support in proficiency to both option and non-option teachers of English.
PPKBIS is targeted at MoE ‘hotspot’ schools which performed below the national average pass rate of 77 per cent for the SPM English language paper. PPKBIS through the School Support Plan (SSP) guides and informs teachers on how to develop context and needs-based intervention plans that assist cycles of improvement in writing among secondary school students.
According to Farah, students’ overall results have shown a consistent increase in the national average pass in SPM English, indicating that the differentiated pedagogical interventions developed by teachers have had a positive impact on students’ performance.
DLP focuses on increasing student contact hours with the English language through the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English. ELTC continues to collaborate with educators, school leaders, teachers, parents and industry stakeholders to ensure the success of DLP in schools.
In addition to the MoE initiatives, ELTC also provides other continuing professional development (CPD) programmes such as the Program Intervensi Tambah Opsyen Bahasa Inggeris (PITO). This intervention programme aims to enhance English language proficiency amongst non-option English language teachers as well as upskilling them with the methodology in the teaching of English in primary schools.
“As of 2019, ELTC has trained 1316 non-option English language teachers. We are proud to say that in 2019, we managed to organise convocation ceremonies for two cohorts of PITO BI teachers,” said Farah. In 2018, the English for Preschool Teachers (EPT) programme was designed to enhance English language proficiency and to provide strategies for preschool teachers to use English as the instructional language in the classroom.
With the vision to be the leading provider of ELT education in the region and the mission to impact English language teaching and learning practices through research, quality training and innovation, ELTC continues to ensure that teachers are informed of the latest techniques in teaching and learning through research, classroom innovations and best practices that leverage on technology to promote and instill 21st century learning.
From an agency mandated to provide training to in-service teachers, today ELTC has metamorphosed into an agency under the MoE that not only leads major English language initiatives for ELT in the nation, but also acts as the secretariat to the English Language Standards and Quality Council first appointed in 2012 by the then Education Minister.
Today, ELTC continues to provide its expertise, skills and knowledge to ensure that the nation’s children are ready to meet the demands of the global market where English plays an instrumental role as the language of communication, negotiation and industry.
More information about ELTC and English Language Teaching (ELT) development can be accessed via www.eltc.edu.my.