Malaysian English language skills are worse

[kingalfred]

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/when-english-language-teachers-dont-know-english And posters are always bashing Thai English language teachers. Malaysia was a British colony so should have an advantage. Seems it makes no difference

Edited November 26, 2015 by kingalfred

[Scott]

I haven't spent a lot of time in Malaysia, but some years ago, I spent some time in Penang and the surrounding area. I met several of the wait staff at a local pub/eatery and after work they invited me to go with them for the remainder of the evening. They all spoke very good English and we went to a local late nite market area to eat and talk. The local staff in the market all spoke English reasonably well.

I dealt with a few gov't agencies and also found all competent in English.

I had no communication problems in getting around the city and the outlying areas.

[Linky]

My malay gf can speak english good enough to understand pretty much everything, some words she confuses but its passable. She uses the plural 's' wrongly sometimes and as there are basically no future or past tense for words in bahasa malay it confuses her when using tenses in english.

But when it comes to writing it is like a 7 year old. Its pretty bad and all over the place.

She has 2 degrees which were done in her language but is now doing a masters which is only done in english. Why oh why would they not have the masters done in her own language in her own country, that is crazy. She struggles through because those marking the exams are malay and probably think her written english is perfect

[Linky]

I haven't spent a lot of time in Malaysia, but some years ago, I spent some time in Penang and the surrounding area. I met several of the wait staff at a local pub/eatery and after work they invited me to go with them for the remainder of the evening. They all spoke very good English and we went to a local late nite market area to eat and talk. The local staff in the market all spoke English reasonably well.

I dealt with a few gov't agencies and also found all competent in English.

I had no communication problems in getting around the city and the outlying areas.

Yes one of the nice things about malaysia is generally there are no communication problems. Practically all of them speak and understand english good enough that I have never felt the need to learn bahasa.

[kingalfred]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

[Scott]

I did read it. Malaysia's English skills are worse than what? If you are implying they are worse than Thailand's, I think you are mistaken.

[kingalfred]

Who said"worse than". Maybe on a par or worse or even better(if marginally). You made your judgement. fine

[Linky]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

[kingalfred]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

um.. So who do we believe . Some TV posters or a report from within Malaysia. Hmmm tough choice!

[gamini]

Post must be mistaken. English is spoken everywhere in Malaysia. The Malays who are fluent in the language have hardly any accent at all and sound a lot more pleasant than most of the Brits here with thier local accents.

[SlyAnimal]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

um.. So who do we believe . Some TV posters or a report from within Malaysia. Hmmm tough choice!

It does say that the Malaysian English teachers only speak English in the classroom, that puts them miles ahead of most of the Thai English teachers, many of whom don't even do that lol

[Maybole]

I worked in Malaysia in the early 1980s. Mahathir Mohammed took over as Prime Minister and, in an anti colonial backlash, required all teaching in schools to done in Bahasa Malayu. This annoyed the Chinese, Tamils, Kadasan Dusun, Bajau, etc. because their second language was English. Teaching of English was discouraged and I found many teenagers, who had been taught Mathematics and Science subjects in English, unhappy and anxious to get me to correct their homework. Their textbooks were all in English and Bahasa had not the vocabulary to cope with scientific subjects. Even now they still have to use English for transport matters., Vis- Terren, Peletfom, Bas etc It appears to have now worked through to the latest generation..All in the name of national pride.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Maybole

[mikebell]

In Vietnam, passable English found everywhere; high quality of service in hotels/bars/restaurants. Thailand should be looking over her shoulder.

[iBike]

Clearly wrong, I deal with people all over Asia both for business and when traveling outside of business. The Malay's English is very good.

[Inn Between]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

um.. So who do we believe . Some TV posters or a report from within Malaysia. Hmmm tough choice!

Have you actually spent any time in Malaysia? I have and I guarantee you the general ability to use English is vastly superior to Thailand -- by a country mile.

I'm going to believe the posters here because I know they are right -- easy choice, actually. The day I start believing hyped-up typically sensationalist journalism instead of people's real experiences is the day I should...(deleted).

Edited November 27, 2015 by Inn Between

[kingalfred]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

um.. So who do we believe . Some TV posters or a report from within Malaysia. Hmmm tough choice!

Have you actually spent any time in Malaysia? I have and I guarantee you the general ability to use English is vastly superior to Thailand -- by a country mile.

I'm going to believe the posters here because I know they are right -- easy choice, actually. The day I start believing hyped-up typically sensationalist journalism instead of people's real experiences is the day I should...(deleted).

ahh really got you wpund up hasnt it! I would trust some teachers recently teaching opinions.Not your travels. This is about Malaysians teaching English in schools.

[Linky]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

um.. So who do we believe . Some TV posters or a report from within Malaysia. Hmmm tough choice!

Have you actually spent any time in Malaysia? I have and I guarantee you the general ability to use English is vastly superior to Thailand -- by a country mile.

I'm going to believe the posters here because I know they are right -- easy choice, actually. The day I start believing hyped-up typically sensationalist journalism instead of people's real experiences is the day I should...(deleted).

ahh really got you wpund up hasnt it! I would trust some teachers recently teaching opinions.Not your travels. This is about Malaysians teaching English in schools.

As has been pointed out, it is wrong. But if you want to believe something that is wrong, up to you.

[SlyAnimal]

In case some of you didn't read the article in full. At no point does it make a comparison with Thailand or ASEAN at all. They simply discuss the low levels of English proficiency exhibited by Malaysian English teachers.

Any comparisons have been made by the posters on this forum.

[Linky]

In case some of you didn't read the article in full. At no point does it make a comparison with Thailand or ASEAN at all. They simply discuss the low levels of English proficiency exhibited by Malaysian English teachers.

Any comparisons have been made by the posters on this forum.

But when stated that english is spoken better and more widely in malaysia than n thailand the OP disagreed and relied on the report for proof of his convictions. Which is wrong.

[kingalfred]

In case some of you didn't read the article in full. At no point does it make a comparison with Thailand or ASEAN at all. They simply discuss the low levels of English proficiency exhibited by Malaysian English teachers.

Any comparisons have been made by the posters on this forum.

But when stated that english is spoken better and more widely in malaysia than n thailand the OP disagreed and relied on the report for proof of his convictions. Which is wrong.

you such a fantasist . Read again and grow up unless you are a juvenile

[White Christmas13]

I don't agree with this I lived in Thailand for many years and went for my

border run every 3 months to Malaysia I never ever had any problems

communicating in English with Malays, Indians, Chinese and I am not

a native English speaker

[Eddy B]

I must admit that when I went on a school trip to Malaysia I had no idea what to expect. While stopped at a petrol station on the highway, we had a toilet break. While outside the toilet area waiting for my students, I heard a voice speaking in English, asking questions to I guess was my students. It turned out it was the janitor mopping the floor, I was amazed as his English skills were better than the Thai English teachers I was traveling with. But back to the OP's statement. I think like Thai English teachers, Malay teachers are put in the same situation. Which is they must be an English teacher, regardless of their ability. A sad fact but true. The other thing I have noticed with Thai English teachers is they are terrible at listening when they are spoken to and show no expression that they understand what was said to them..........just a blank expression.........just like the sounds went in one ear and out the other.

[chainarong]

I haven't spent a lot of time in Malaysia, but some years ago, I spent some time in Penang and the surrounding area. I met several of the wait staff at a local pub/eatery and after work they invited me to go with them for the remainder of the evening. They all spoke very good English and we went to a local late nite market area to eat and talk. The local staff in the market all spoke English reasonably well.

I dealt with a few gov't agencies and also found all competent in English.

I had no communication problems in getting around the city and the outlying areas.

Like the Philippines the standards have dropped in Malaysia however they did bring in a English to be only spoken at the Unis lectures, don't know if this is still in place , I gave Malaysia away and all the others ( I am Not from US ), after 9/11.

[fasteddie]

In case some of you didn't read the article in full. At no point does it make a comparison with Thailand or ASEAN at all. They simply discuss the low levels of English proficiency exhibited by Malaysian English teachers.

Any comparisons have been made by the posters on this forum.

But when stated that english is spoken better and more widely in malaysia than n thailand the OP disagreed and relied on the report for proof of his convictions. Which is wrong.

you such a fantasist . Read again and grow up unless you are a juvenile

"you such a fantasist"

And that's an example of your English?

[Linky]

I haven't spent a lot of time in Malaysia, but some years ago, I spent some time in Penang and the surrounding area. I met several of the wait staff at a local pub/eatery and after work they invited me to go with them for the remainder of the evening. They all spoke very good English and we went to a local late nite market area to eat and talk. The local staff in the market all spoke English reasonably well.

I dealt with a few gov't agencies and also found all competent in English.

I had no communication problems in getting around the city and the outlying areas.

Like the Philippines the standards have dropped in Malaysia however they did bring in a English to be only spoken at the Unis lectures, don't know if this is still in place , I gave Malaysia away and all the others ( I am Not from US ), after 9/11.

Yes they still do english only in some uni courses. My gf is doing a masters and its english only.

[nazree360]

Read the report about "teaching in schools" NOT restaurants etc

Yes, and were do you think malays learn their english, its in schools, and they are miles and miles ahead of Thailand in their english proficiency.

Exactly

[OMGImInPattaya]

I haven't spent a lot of time in Malaysia, but some years ago, I spent some time in Penang and the surrounding area. I met several of the wait staff at a local pub/eatery and after work they invited me to go with them for the remainder of the evening. They all spoke very good English and we went to a local late nite market area to eat and talk. The local staff in the market all spoke English reasonably well.

I dealt with a few gov't agencies and also found all competent in English.

I had no communication problems in getting around the city and the outlying areas.

Yes one of the nice things about malaysia is generally there are no communication problems. Practically all of them speak and understand english good enough that I have never felt the need to learn bahasa.

And if one ever wanted to, that phonetic spelling system using the Latin alphabet would make it a breeze.