Sivabala.
LIMITED avenues for students to learn English Literature at secondary and upper-secondary levels is a cause for concern as literature is a vital component of English language education globally.
According to Malaysian English Language Teaching Association president Dr Sivabala Naidu, the limited opportunities of literature education in the Malaysian mainstream school setting may put local students at a disadvantage compared to their international peers, affecting their competitiveness in a globalised world.
Sivabala, who is also the Faculty of Social Sciences dean at Quest International University, said schools offering English Literature as a subject would require teacher preparedness.
“Malaysia is currently at a disadvantage as literature has not been the mainstay of English language education here.
“Employing qualified teachers may be a challenge as it is difficult to gauge their proficiency.
“More importantly, like any other subject matter, we are in need of teachers who have the passion to teach.
“The proficiency of our teachers vary. While many can teach the English language, teaching literature requires additional skills and knowledge,” he said, while calling for continuous professional development and targeted training programmes for the development of literature education in the country to be conducted.
For literature education to flourish in schools, the integration of literature into the curriculum is imperative to foster wholesome reading habits and improve language skills from an early age, he said.
“Studies indicate that literature has a positive impact on improvement in developing language proficiency, good reading habits, critical thinking skills, and empathy,” he shared.
Sivabala added that students may lose out on these advantages if they are not exposed to literature, which could result in diminished ability and decreased enthusiasm in reading.
He stressed the importance of using “graded reader” books, which might be original works published at a lower language level, or adaptations of classic literature, biographies, travel books and movies, as these are “easy reading” books that support teaching English as a second or foreign language.
Even though graded readers use language that is simpler, they often address the same range of “serious” topics as works intended for native speakers and do not always lack narrative depth or avoid challenging issues, he said.
Sivabala asserted that more should be done to promote a reading culture across the nation.
Initiatives such as providing quality reading materials in school libraries, creating book clubs, and hosting reading competitions are crucial, he said.
English Literature classes, said Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, can also be made more interesting by allowing students to join university lectures on the subject.
“Let students experience and participate in online classes from foreign universities so that they can better understand how to critique literary discussions and engage in meaningful and in-depth conversation,” she said.
Online plays, sketches, concerts and even digital games can expose students to various facets of literature, serving as supplementary knowledge to information acquired in the classroom.
Allowing them to role-play and critique famous works of literature and film helps them think critically and creatively in real time, she added.
“English Literature will definitely enhance language proficiency and the subject is an asset on anyone’s resume but although the study of literature offers many benefits, our youth are increasingly disinterested in English reading materials,” she said, while acknowledging that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related subjects remain superior when it comes to securing employment opportunities.
It would be an uphill task for humanities students to get into the sciences as compared to STEM students wanting to get into humanities when they pursue their tertiary education, she added.
English Literature, she said, is not widely applied in most jobs here.
“One doesn’t need to learn English Literature in Malaysia to prove their English proficiency, unless that person wants to do creative writing or pursue an English language-related specialisation in higher education,” she said.
She, however, urged parents to allow their children to choose the field of study that they are interested in.
“It really depends on the students’ interest and inclination. Forcing them down a path they cannot relate to or do not have the aptitude for, may turn disastrous,” said Noor Azimah.
