Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach

In the Malaysian National Preschool Standards-based Curriculum context, preschool teachers are being asked to use English as a medium of instruction for part of their teaching activities. However, there have been criticisms that low English language proficiencies among these teachers may have hin...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2019
Online Access:	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/1/31362-114278-1-PB.pdf

id	ukm-14112
recordtype	eprints
spelling	ukm-141122020-01-31T23:17:55Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/ Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo In the Malaysian National Preschool Standards-based Curriculum context, preschool teachers are being asked to use English as a medium of instruction for part of their teaching activities. However, there have been criticisms that low English language proficiencies among these teachers may have hindered their ability to provide meaningful educational experiences for the children in their care. Yet, little is understood about the language proficiency of these teachers in their own context. An explanatory mixed methods design has been used in the present study with data collected in two phases. In the quantitative phase, a survey is used to investigate 204 preschool teachers’ current levels of English proficiency, the levels they think necessary for using it effectively, and the gap between the two levels. The qualitative phase uses semi-structured interviews with 12 preschool teachers. The preschool teachers believe that high or advanced language proficiency would be needed for its effective use. However, in the interviews, they also consider empathy for the children, a passion for teaching, the ability to make the class fun and interesting as equally important. There is also a lot of ‘language switching’ between English, the Malay language and the mother tongue to meet the requirements of the day’s lesson. Although preschool teachers in general showed positive stances about the decision to use English for part of the instructional time, they also suggest that some form of benchmarks that address the kinds or levels of English language proficiency needed for its effective use would be useful. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2019-11 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/1/31362-114278-1-PB.pdf Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo (2019) Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach. GEMA: Online Journal of Language Studies, 19 (4). pp. 346-362. ISSN 1675-8021 http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1227
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
building	UKM Institutional Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
description	In the Malaysian National Preschool Standards-based Curriculum context, preschool teachers are being asked to use English as a medium of instruction for part of their teaching activities. However, there have been criticisms that low English language proficiencies among these teachers may have hindered their ability to provide meaningful educational experiences for the children in their care. Yet, little is understood about the language proficiency of these teachers in their own context. An explanatory mixed methods design has been used in the present study with data collected in two phases. In the quantitative phase, a survey is used to investigate 204 preschool teachers’ current levels of English proficiency, the levels they think necessary for using it effectively, and the gap between the two levels. The qualitative phase uses semi-structured interviews with 12 preschool teachers. The preschool teachers believe that high or advanced language proficiency would be needed for its effective use. However, in the interviews, they also consider empathy for the children, a passion for teaching, the ability to make the class fun and interesting as equally important. There is also a lot of ‘language switching’ between English, the Malay language and the mother tongue to meet the requirements of the day’s lesson. Although preschool teachers in general showed positive stances about the decision to use English for part of the instructional time, they also suggest that some form of benchmarks that address the kinds or levels of English language proficiency needed for its effective use would be useful.
format	Article
author	Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo
spellingShingle	Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach
author_facet	Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo
author_sort	Goh, Pauline Swee-Choo
title	Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach
title_short	Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach
title_full	Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach
title_fullStr	Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach
title_full_unstemmed	Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach
title_sort	preschool teachers’ perspectives on using english language to teach
publisher	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
publishDate	2019
url	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14112/1/31362-114278-1-PB.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T20:06:22Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T20:06:22Z
_version_	1777407185307828224

Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using English language to teach

Similar Items