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The English Language Curriculum and Pedagogy Review committee unveils their recommendations to make students confident and competent users of the English Language.
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| Minister of State for Education, RADM (NS) Lui Tuck Yew stressing that we cannot be complacent about the standard of English in Singapore. |
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“We cannot be complacent about the standard of English in Singapore,” so stated Rear Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State for Education, at the press conference which announced the wide-ranging recommendations of the English Language Curriculum and Pedagogy Review (ELCPRC) committee. RAdm (NS) Lui, Advisor of the ELCPRC committee, continued, “We have to keep a high degree of proficiency in the language.”
Despite Singaporean students achieving high scores in international EL tests and more of them speaking the language at home, employers have given the feedback that there was a need to raise the levels of oral fluency, writing skills and communication among Singaporeans. After a year of rigorous research via focus groups, dialogue sessions with stakeholders, surveys and overseas study trips, the ELCPRC committee has formulated a multi-pronged, long-term strategy that spares no effort to ensure Singapore students and teachers get a solid grounding in the English Language (EL).
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| Teachers can look forward to more resources and a more structured approach for teaching EL to primary school students. |
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Grammar Comes First
The new measures will extend to all schools, and focus on enabling students to write and speak competently, especially in the global arena. In particular, the teaching of grammar will adopt a systematic and explicit approach to boost the current method of using contextualised learning. Additional teacher training and collaborations with external stakeholders will also strengthen school initiatives to promote EL and its proper use. For a more detailed look at the revisions at each level, go to the link Detailed Recommendations.
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| EL teacher Nurfaizah Tubi uses different mediums, such as the Internet, to teach EL to her students. |
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Bishan Park Secondary EL teacher Nurfaizah Tubi feels the changes are timely. “It is true that some students do have difficulty expressing themselves appropriately. To prepare them for the global economy, students should not only be comprehensible but also be knowledgeable and thus, be exposed to different channels in which information is presented.” she said.
Engaged English Learning
ELCPRC member, Mrs Fuziah Taha, Principal of North View Primary School, was thrilled with the promise of more age-appropriate materials and resources for teaching primary school students, a more structured approach to teaching EL, and the move towards two-subject specialisation for each teacher. Recognising that some students lack home support in learning EL, she suggested getting parents onboard to overcome the challenge: “We can organise workshops for parents on how to support the teaching and learning of EL.”
NIE Lecturer Lubna Alsagoff feels that the new curriculum offers a differentiated curriculum that will meet the needs of students with different learning needs. “Students will benefit from a curriculum that offers them richer literacy environments with the inclusion of literature in the teaching of English, while those in need of more explicit instruction will benefit from the stronger focus on the teaching of basic literacy skills and grammar knowledge,” she said.
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| NIE lecturer Lubna Alsagoff is confident that students will benefit from the new curriculum. |
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Canberra Primary has already gotten started. “Our school is in the SEED-EL pilot programme,” states Ms Shakila Vasu, HOD of English. This goes down to the crux of developing and strengthening early reading literacy, she continues. “At the higher levels, we are raising and supporting our pupils’ oral language development through the incorporation of Human Dynamics principles, Multiple Intelligences and Co-operative learning approaches.” In fact, Canberra Primary is staging a musical next September, “showcasing the outcomes of our curriculum-based speech and drama programme,” Ms Vasu proudly announces. The school is also starting a junior debating league in the North Zone next year.
Training Teachers a Priority
Meanwhile, teachers can expect more opportunities for professional development and recognition. Primary school trainee teachers with EL as one of their teaching subjects and Secondary EL trainee teachers in the PDGE programme are set to undergo an additional English enhancement course at the National Institute of Education (NIE). Outstanding Post-Graduate Diploma trainees will receive a study award to go on a three-month overseas study trip. For trained teachers, an annual award recognises outstanding EL, Literature or General Paper teachers.
Mrs Lysia Kee, Principal, Bukit Batok Secondary School, was truly excited at the prospect of two additional EL teachers per school by 2010. Mrs Kee, who clearly loves EL, also looks forward to teachers who are trained to teach English Literature. “They can handle the nuances and values, the systems and cultural contexts of the texts they teach,” she explained.
What outcomes will the enhancements produce? Ideally, all students would have attained good foundational skills, a majority would have developed a good level of competence; a significant number would acquire a high degree of proficiency in EL and within this group, a smaller number would achieve mastery of EL. More importantly, students should enjoy learning EL and develop an appreciation for the language that would last a lifetime.
Primary Schools
- The EL curriculum will focus on developing oral confidence, grammar knowledge and a love for reading in the Primary school years.
- Strategies for Effective and Engaged Development in English Language (SEED-EL) will be implemented in all schools by 2009.
- Enhanced Learning Support Programme for weaker students will be implemented in all schools in 2007.
Secondary Schools
- Secondary students will revisit and build on foundational skills, in particular, grammar and spoken English.
- The weighting for assessment in Oral Communication at ‘N’ and ‘O’ levels will increase from 20% to 25%.
EL at Pre-University
- A new subject, English Language, will be introduced at H1 and H2 levels from 2009. Students will undertake a critical study of language and communication to deepen their understanding, use and appreciation of EL.
- The English Language Elective Programme will be introduced to one to two Junior Colleges from 2009. This may help grow the pool of potential EL teachers.
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- Two more EL teachers in all Secondary schools by 2010. This will be part of MOE’s plans to deploy an average of 10 additional teachers in every school by 2010.
- One EL specialist teacher in every Primary School by 2010, within the Teacher Quota of schools.
- The possibility of two-subject specialisation for English-medium teachers in Primary schools.
- A network of Mentors and Senior Teachers specialising in EL.
- Niche schools to develop into Centres of Excellence in EL with specialists attached to them.
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