Passing English will soon be a must - Why not aim to ace it?

by StudyMalaysia.com on September 8, 2014 | Top Stories, Learning English in Malaysia

If you ever thought you needed a good reason to improve your English, this could be it. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced on 2 September 2014 that English will soon be made a mandatory pass subject at the university level

Although the minister did not specify the implementation date of this new policy, it's not too early to start thinking about how to improve your English.

"Good English, well spoken and well written, will open more doors than a college degree. Bad English will slam doors you didn't even know existed."
— William Raspberry, columnist

Many of us may not realise how important English proficiency is at university level, but it does play a big part in a college student's learning. For starters, many courses at universities, in particular, at private higher education institutions, are conducted in English. In addition, learning at university level is quite different from secondary school. Don't expect to get textbooks and carefully organised notes that will help you pass exams. Forget model answers – there is usually none. Instead, you'd be expected to read extensively, research on a topic and give your opinion on various areas. Is it starting to get obvious for you? If it isn't, here it is spelled out for you: Good Proficiency in English is Important.

Another plus point of having a high proficiency in English is employability. According to an article in The Star, employers prefer graduates who can speak, read and write well in English. A JobStreet survey showed that 56% of 571 employers surveyed rejected applicants because of their "poor command of English language". Communication skills also rank at the top of many employers' wish-list when hiring fresh graduates.

So don't wait till you've graduated to improve your English – enrol in an English programme today. Most private colleges and universities offer English proficiency courses at various levels. You may also want to sign up for a class on academic English or work towards a qualification such as IELTS or TOEFL. If you've already entered the job market, or if you're looking for employment, you could consider a course in Business English.

Here are some English courses offered at private colleges and universities in Malaysia. Click on each course to find out more

English Course	Institution
Academic and Communicative English – Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced	Malvern College International
Business English	Methodist College Kuala Lumpur
Certificate in Intensive English	KDU University College
Certified Intensive English Programme	ELS Language Centres
Communicative English Programme	ELS Language Centres
English As a Second Language (ESL) – Basic, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced	Olympia College
English Enrichment Programme	Disted College
English Enrichment Programme (Level 1-10)	UCSI University
English Executive Workshop	ELS Language Centres
English for Academic Purposes	Taylor's University Lakeside Campus
English For Hospitality	Genting INTI International College
English for Sales and Marketing	The Language House
English for Serving Teachers	Methodist College Kuala Lumpur
English for the Office	The Language House
English Language Proficiency Course	Stamford College
English Language Programme (Level 1,2,3,4)	Kolej Antarabangsa Travex
English Language Programme – Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced	Institut Latihan FTMS-ICT
English Short Course Level 1, Level 2, Level 3	Kolej Sentral
English Short Course Level 1, Level 2, Level 3	SENTRAL Technology College Penang
English Short Courses	KDU College
Enrichment Course for English Language and English Literature	Methodist College Kuala Lumpur
Intensive English	Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
Intensive English (Beginner, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Advanced)	The Language House
Intensive English Programme	Putra International College
Intensive English Programme	Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia
Intensive English Programme	Stamford College
Intensive English Programme	Sunway University
Intensive English Programme (Level: Foundation, Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced)	BERJAYA University College of Hospitality
Intensive English Programmes (Lower Basic, Higher Basic, Intermediate, Advanced Levels)	KBU International College
Intensive English – Lower Elementary, Elementary, Lower Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced	Taylor's University Lakeside Campus
International English Language Test System (IELTS)	ELS Language Centres
Juniors' English Programme	ELS Language Centres
Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Preparatory Course	Malvern College International
Semi-Intensive English Programme	ELS Language Centres
Spoken English (Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced)	The Language House
Summer School (vacation English)	Kolej Antarabangsa Travex
Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages (TESOL)	ELS Language Centres
Teens' English Programme	ELS Language Centres
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Test Preparation Workshop	ELS Language Centres
Vacation English Programme	Sunway University

"Good English, well spoken and well written, will open more doors than a college degree. Bad English will slam doors you didn't even know existed." – William Raspberry, columnist

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