Helping to raise the standard of English

Hishammudin (right) and Deverall (left) marks the English Class pilot project takeoff with the signing of the plaque during the launch.

RETAIL bookstore chain Borders has two key concerns.

The first is getting more Malaysians to pick up a book and read, and the second is increasing the level of proficiency in English.

While much has been said about cultivating the habit and improving the standard of the language, Borders and British Council have set out to put words into action.

Together, they are hosting English classes for participants above the age of 18 for free at Borders at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, every Wednesday for eight weeks, which started yesterday.

Berjaya Corporation Berhad business development director Hishammudin Hassan said the programme was Borders’ first step in directly addressing its second concern.

“The standard of English in the country is at a challenging level.

“Through the classes, we aim to provide coaching of English for everyday use, in the business setting that we normally find ourselves in,” he said, adding that British Council was the right institution to work with to facilitate the learning process.

British Council country director Sarah Deverall said the initiative was part of a commitment to ensure every teacher and learner had access to materials they needed to develop the language to the levels they wished to achieve.

“We have got the things you need to help you get there if English is really important to you, whether for work purposes or study, and to become a global citizen in today’s rapidly changing world.”

She said with the change of times, there were jobs that would exist in the future that did not exist now.

“We have to equip our young people with the skills, knowledge and language, and everything they need to compete and function well in that world,” said Deverall, adding that the collaboration would help them do so.

According to British Council head of Adults Teaching Centre Sean Smith, the most common problem people faced was confidence and competence.

“Most people can speak some English as they have had some kind of English education, but perhaps they feel shy or reluctant to speak, possibly thinking they do not know enough grammar, the right vocabulary or pronunciations.”

He said those were the kind of concerns they had been working on to help people at their centres.

For this particular programme with Borders, Smith said they decided to focus on what would be most useful for young adults and young people about to enter the workforce, to help them with the best opportunities for their careers.

“All the lessons are designed for situations you may find in the workplace.

“The classes are not about traditional blackboard teaching, but learning vocabulary and grammar through engaging relevant, practical and fun activities,” he said, adding that students had plenty of opportunities to get feedback from tutors on pronunciation and accurate use of the language.

The lessons were 45 minutes long, which Smith said were more of a mini lesson, a taster to what the institution usually ran for in their 90-minute to two-hour classes.

In the eight classes, participants would be exposed to different areas of teaching including speaking, how to interrupt and avoid interruption, social skills as well as business writing in relevant aspects such as writing for job applications or formal complaints.

Borders and British Council will gauge the popularity of this programme.

Depending on its demand, Smith said they were open to extending the lessons.

“We are taking this one step at a time, and if there’s demand, perhaps we might even do this twice a week,” said Hishammudin, adding that they could even explore hosting private lessons for companies.

The classes are limited to 20 participants each, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Participants will also be entitled to refreshments and premiums sponsored by Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn Bhd, Moleskin, Hallmark, Faber Castell Malaysia and Berjaya RadioShack Sdn Bhd.

For details, visit any Borders outlet or call 018-987 7842 (CK, Aida or Sara).

Source: The Star