Importance of Teaching English Grammar

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Importance of Teaching English Grammar

http://www.wordsworthelt.com/blog/importance-of-teaching-english-grammar/digital language teaching, teaching english grammar1

The importance of teaching grammar in English language is an ongoing debate. Where on one hand theorists and practitioners have felt that its significance in language learning cannot be mitigated, on the other hand it is seen as nothing but a set of arbitrary rules and merely an exercise in naming parts of a sentence; something that can easily be done away with.

An analysis of this ongoing debate has nevertheless brought to the fore the necessity of grammar teaching and its significance in language learning and enhancement.

That grammar has a positive and real effect on all the four skills of language learning is being gradually recognised.  Although the benefits of grammar on teaching and improving writing skills have been better accepted, its impact on reading, listening and speaking is also now being seen to be prominent.

Enhanced communication skills call for a high degree of grammatical competence.  Communicative proficiency involves knowledge and application of grammar and use of appropriate vocabulary of the language to convey meanings in a socially acceptable way.  This is also the reason why grammar teaching is considered imperative and has found its way into language teaching labs.

Grammar is the base of English language.  English especially as a second or a foreign language is not acquired naturally; instruction and structured learning are important. Through grammar, an ESL learner learns how to operate at the sentence level and studies the governance of the syntax or word orders that are the rule of the game in the language. While, it is argued that some learners ‘notice’ grammar rules and logic naturally, yet it cannot be denied that if one hopes to acquire and use English language accurately and fluently, grammar learning is necessary.

Though grammar teaching generally would involve the intervention of a teacher in the classroom, some language teaching labs have also introduced this feature in their teaching content.  Words Worth English language lab is one such digital language teaching lab that has an audio visual teaching content for grammar for schools.

To add punch to their contention of grammar being important for English language learning, grammarians talk about researches which prove that learners who received grammar instructions made marked progress within two weeks of tutored sessions as compared to those who tried to pick up the language naturally.  The three dimensions of grammar: form, meaning and use that tutored grammar learning brings to the learner’s attention enable him/her to progress in their language competencies. Their risk of hitting a learning plateau is largely reduced thus, in comparison to those who went through an untutored language learning process.

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STU suggests education institutes be used for upskilling

September 28, 2017, Thursday

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Jisin Nyud

SIBU: The Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) has suggested that the Rajang and Miri Teacher Education Institutes (IPG) be fully utilised for the upskilling and upgrading of teachers.
       STU president Jisin Nyud said this will be useful and beneficial to the state rather than just waiting for both institutes to close in a few years’ time.
     “As it was the (federal) cabinet’s decision to turn these IPGs into TVet (technical and vocational education and training) centres, definitely we can foresee that there will be no more intakes of trainee teachers in a few years’ time for these two teaching institutes,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

     “Considering the feasibility of these two teaching institutes to be used as TVet centres would be costly and it is still a far way to go, STU would like to suggest to have them fully utilised at this moment especially for the upskilling and upgrading of teachers not only for the primary but the secondary school teachers.”
       He said this could involve short courses, including for new teachers who may need more exposure on certain subjects.
    “With the closure of Miri and Rajang teaching institutes, we are worried that our dream of achieving 90 per cent local teachers cannot be achieved.”
      The state government recently said it would formulate its own training programmes for IPG Rajang and IPG Miri, which would close down after the present batch of trainees graduate in June 2020.
      Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said IPG Rajang and Miri were among nine of 27 IPGs nationwide to be closed by the federal government.

My comments:
Does the Sarawak government dare to do something to reject the proposal?  Does the Sarawak government want to be so docile and behave like a pet to the Malayan government?   Let's act in unison to exercise our power to tell them so. 

theborneopost.com

Residents running out of patience

Peter Sibon, reporters@theborneopost.com

People in Ba Kelalan staging daily demonstrations demanding immediate repair of road leading to their area

Demonstrators in Ba Kelalan demanding the road to be repaired as soon as possible.

KUCHING: A group of people in Ba Kelalan are staging demonstrations there to demand the road leading to their area, which is so badly damaged that it  is almost impossible to drive on, be repaired soonest possible.
      After their numerous appeals to the government to repair the road had failed they have now resorted to daily demonstrations to vent their anger and frustration over the condition of the road.
     According to Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) Ba Kelalan Youth chief Tadem Arun, the repair of the road should not be politicised as it is a very basic need of the people.
  “We are very sick and tired of the political rhetoric. So, we urge the ministers, both at the state and federal levels to assist us to repair our road soonest possible.  Please don’t treat us like this as though we have no government,” Tadem said when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
     He also insisted that ministers at federal and state levels go to the ground and see for themselves the condition of the road.
  “We demand the ministers in charge of road at both the state and federal levels to come and see how bad the road condition is now especially during the wet season.” said Tadem.
     When contacted, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation (MIDT)  Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said he had received the proposal from a timber company operating in the area to upgrade the logging road to R1 type at a cost of RM35 million.
   “I hope the YBs (elected representatives) of the area will discuss the matter with my officers from MIDT to look at the details of the proposal so that it could be implemented as soon as possible,” said Masing.
     Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong when contacted thanked Masing for his ministry’s response to the demands of the people and said he would meet the MIDT officers to expedite the repair of the road.
     “I am as excited as the people as I have highlighted the issue ample times in parliament.   I have also written to the respective ministers at both the federal and state levels on the urgent need to upgrade and repair the road,” said Sum, who is also Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism.
     Meanwhile, Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian was thankful that the road would soon be repaired and he welcomed the government’s initiative to assist the people.
“On my part I would like to say thank you to the government and I will go to the ground to ensure that the road repair could be implemented according to specifications,” added Baru.

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  My comments:
  Building and maintain roads are the responsible of the government.  Why did James Masing, the political thug thinks that the timber company can really upgrade the road.  Don't accept the proposal from the timber company to upgrade the road.  Ask the government, be it so-called Federal or state government to upgrade the road if you really want the road to be done properly and accordingly and regularly and legitimately and effectively.  Don't be fooled again and again and again and again.  Change your mindset for a better future and road condition.   
• Don't compromise to the promise of the political thug to accept the proposal of  the timber company to do the work or the appalling road condition will continue to happen again and again.  There will be no ending of this condition. 

Sarawak gets largest slice of Education Ministry funding, says Director-General

September 17, 2017, Sunday

Khair (front facing camera, third right) interacts with the children at the launch of the programme. — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

        KUCHING: The allocation for Sarawak this year by the Ministry of Education is the biggest among all the states in Malaysia.
       Sarawak receives RM442 million out of the RM3 billion allocated by the ministry under ‘Schooling Assistance’ this year.
According to the ministry’s director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof, this schooling assistance for Sarawak is divided into three categories – general assistance worth RM89 million, special assistance (RM319 million) and one-off assistance (RM34 million).
 “All these three categories of assistance are meant for children who are attending lessons at 1,436 schools in the whole of Sarawak,” he said in launching the ministry’s ‘Explore Education’ programme at Plaza Merdeka here yesterday.
Khair pointed out that the assistance is aimed at ensuring that children in the state would have access to quality education like their counterparts in developed countries.
On teachers, he said the ministry is targeting to have 90 per cent of those teaching in Sarawak and Sabah to consist of locals.
According to him, the process of transferring teachers began last June and the target should be achieved by this January.
For Sarawak, he said 90 per cent of the 43,000 teachers would be Sarawakians by early next year.
On the two-day programme, Khair called upon the community particularly the parents to visit the exhibition on the atrium of Plaza Merdeka to obtain the latest information about the nation’s education policy.
He said the ‘Sarawak Edition’ marked the ninth leg of the nationwide ‘Explore Education’ programme.
“I hope this programme would receive good response from Sarawakians who should take the opportunity to get information from the right source, instead of false information circulated on social media.”

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  19/9/2017
          Shamelessly, BN political thugs or officers bark often and again to tell us Sarawakians what we have got from the Federal government without thinking that how much they have plundered from us.  What a curse when 400 plus schools in Sarawak are in dilapidated conditions.   This shows how long these schools have been neglected.  This shows how long Sarawakians have been exploited.  This shows how deprived these schools have been.
          Now by the force of the situation, the Malayan government is coerced to dish out the amount that is nothing to the total amount owed to us Sarawakians. 
          If Sarawak has been independent enough like Singapore, our economic development will be on par with those in Singapore.  You will not face the appalling road conditions, lack of basic amenities in most rural areas, poor school facilities, poor hospital facilities..….
   

theborneopost.com

Chong hits back at Manyin over English education

Chong Chieng Jen

KUCHING: DAP Sarawak has hit back at Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin for claiming that the party has no suggestion on how to improve the standard of English amongst the young in Sarawak.

Its chairman Chong Chieng Jen said for Manyin to make such claim, the latter must have been ‘sleeping in the DUN (State Legislative Assembly)’ in the past two years when he was debating.

“We DAP Sarawak have constructive and workable suggestions on how to improve the standard of English amongst the students in Sarawak. The sad fact is that the BN government has consistently turned a deaf ear to our suggestion.

“To reply to Michael Manyin, I do not mind to repeat the DAP Sarawak’s suggestion on how to improve the standard of English amongst the young in Sarawak which I have mentioned in DUN several times,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

Chong, who is Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, suggested that to improve the standard of English, there was no other way except to revive the English schools system in Sarawak.

“DAP Sarawak has proposed that the state government allocate funds to set up English private schools or revive the English medium mission schools systems.

“At present, there are only a handful private schools where English is the medium of instruction. At private schools, students have to pay school fees which are not affordable to many from the low-income group.”

He said if the government could allocate funds to set up English private schools with no fees payable by the students, there would be more opportunities for children in the state to receive English education, especially those from lower income families.

“I have also suggested that such English schools be not confined only to the urban region but also suburban and rural areas.”

As to Manyin’s claims that education policies are federal matter and that his ministry is only there to complement the federal Education Ministry (MOE) and thus has no power to formulate policies, Chong said it was just another ‘lame excuse’ by Manyin to run away from his responsibility.

“If we can have the private sector funding private schools with English as the medium of instruction, why can’t the state government fund more of such private schools?

“Furthermore, if the state MOE cannot even formulate policy on education, then it is actually a department of the federal MOE, disguised as a state ministry to give the state BN a ‘syok sendiri’ (self indulgent) feeling.”

Chong said for DAP, if the policy of the government is not workable or detrimental to the people, they will object to it.

“For the state government, with billions of reserve fund and a new Ministry of Education set up, to come up with such a ridiculous policy (which even Michael Manyin’s own colleague (Datuk) Abdul Karim (Rahman Hamzah) disagrees), is doing a disservice to our younger generation.”

Therefore, Chong said it is DAP’s duty to voice out and not sit back and keep quiet like those in SUPP or other BN component parties.

“If Michael Manyin is mindful of doing good in education for our future generation, he should implement the revival of the English medium schools or at least get the state government to fund some private schools teaching in English so that these schools can provide free English education to the students.”

As for Pakatan Harapan (PH), Chong said if they capture Putrajaya, Sarawak will be given autonomy in education and they will set up English schools to offer parents a choice – to have their children educated in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin or English language.

“For now, we welcome the BN Sarawak government to adopt our proposed policy of having ‘Fully Government Funded English Schools in Sarawak’.”

Chong said even if BN Sarawak was not willing to adopt DAP’s suggestion, they were confident that Sarawakians would not need to wait long for such English schools to be set up in the state because the 14th General Election is near and the likelihood of PH capturing Putrajaya is high.

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  My Comments:
  I would recommend to set up another stream of schools which have 30% of the texts to be taught in BM, 30% of the texts to be taught  Chinese or Iban or other languages as people's wish and 40% to be taught in English.  Just try and see what stream of schools will get most supports and which stream gets so few students in the competition. 

Say 'No!!!!'. That's!

Tweets  30/8/2017

        An Autocracy is, no doubt, an autocracy who so set to do what he desires to accomplish with the power in his hands in the country where all the laws have to bend to his commands.  If Taib Mahmud of Sarawak, Mahatir/ex-PM of Malaysia (for 22+ years), the present PM, Najib, Zahid Hamedi, the present deputy PM of Malaysia……….were in Koreo, they would be in jail now.  I believe 1 day, history will showcase of their sins,  abuses, lifestyles  and ill-gotten wealth in possession in the museums.

        History will tell the truth of every sins they committed.  History will no longer be told by just few professional historians who help to twist, distort and fabricate to the dictation of the dictatorship.   History will be told by everybody and it will be like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to be put together to tell what the picture is.

Every Sarawakians with the exceptions of 1 % will know the true history of Sarawak by heart.  Every Sarawakian should know how our countrymen in Sarawak colluded with the Malayan government to open the way for them to come in to plunder and exploit us with such shameless and lame excuse that they were subjected to the whip of the party to obey even if they had to betray Sarawak.  How every act signed unconstitutionally as against the MA63. 

by these betrayals, so called National Representatives.

It is no doubt when we say and protest what 31^st August is to celebrate, one of the betrayals called Stephen Rundi stepped out to tell the people to accept the decision of the ‘Federal Government’.  These betrayals have had too good the benefits of the positions and income to think and care to set their foot down to protect Sarawak from being humiliated and debased from the status of a country to a state unconstitutionally.  These betrayals are so subservient to their ‘Federal’ master that they are ever ready to sign any act proposed. 

Why should Sarawak in such an appalling conditions in many respects still subject to GST, tourism tax and the like?  Who gives the Federal master the rights to do so?  Are there not slaps in the face of these political clowns and Sarawakians in general?

What do Abang Johari and his cronies say about the celebration on 31^st August?  This is how the autocrazy/autocracy wants to test Abang Johari

and his cronies’ loyalty to the authority of the Malayan government, their Federal Master.   This is just a date to showcase their mindset. 

        So, to celebrate or not to celebrate, we Sarawakians should stay united to decide and our decision is, “No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

And there is nothing to celebrate on the 16^th September, either?  It only reminds us how Sarawak has been plundered and exploited since our betrayals signed the MA63.

What is that we are celebrating?

Tweets 14/8/2017       What is that we are celebrating?

The Independent Day of Sarawak is on 22 July.  The so called Malaysia Day is on 16 September.  What is 31^st August we are celebrating?  Through the collusion of the local parties with the UMNO-BN, Sarawak has been plundered and exploited for over 54 years, what are we thankful for? 

It is a blantant mistake to form Malaysia 54 years ago and what a shame to see 70% of Sarawak in appalling conditions in every respect with the exception of town areas when compared with Brunei and Singapore.  What are we thankful for the Federation of Malaysia?  Don’t force the the so-called national flags into people’s hands. 

I don’t know whose idea to force Sarawakians to celebrate the Peninsula Malaya and Sabah Independent Day on 31^st August?  Do they celebrate Sarawak Independent Day on 22 July in the same manner?  Please don’t waste resources and don’t mislead Sarawakians.  It is time for the leaders to stand up tall and straight to say “No”.  Save the energy and resources for better use. 

Say “No to GST and tourism tax” to assert our position as a partner in the Federation of Malaysia.  Abang Johari and his cronies should set the time to get back all the rights that belongs to Sarawak or be prepared to secede.   Don’t wait for Sarawakians to flush you out. 

On behalf of all the Sarawakians with the 2% exception, I plead you to abolish 31^st August to be a public holiday to show that it is just an independent day of Peninsula Malaya.  It is time to hit back for all the transgression and trespasses of Malaya government in Sarawak.  Don’t behave like fools and become a laughing stock to the whole-wide world. 

It is not nosy of me to tell all these.  When some political thugs bring flags to schools to fools pupils and teachers, I believe the sight will cause rage to 1.5 million of Sarawakians.  I feel really disgusted and angry to see those in blue uniform with the logo of weighing scale to set out to distribute the flags for nothing meaningful but a show of your loyalty to the Malayan government.  Like betrayers, they act and behave to much to the disgust and anger of Sarawakians.