Address competency gap

MALAYSIANS’ command of the English language has been on the decline over the last few years.

The English Proficiency Index (EPI) shows that between 2016 and 2020, Malaysia’s global ranking dropped from the 12th to the 30th position (see infographic).

A slight improvement was recorded in 2021 when the country moved up two spots to the 28th position, and now ranks third among Asian countries, behind Singapore and the Philippines.

Carried out by international education company Education First (EF), the EPI is based on test scores from the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), the world’s first free standardised English test.

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While the country is back in the “high proficiency” bracket, Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman cautioned against resting on our laurels.

More needs to be done to improve our proficiency as a poor command of English will be detrimental to Malaysians’ ability to compete in the job market, globally and regionally, he told StarEdu.With a decrease in English proficiency over the years, he said, private sector employers are finding it increasingly hard to employ fresh graduates who suit companies’ requirements.

This is a long-standing problem and is prevalent in various sectors.

A study published in 2012, titled “Manufacturing Industry Employers’ Perception of Graduates’ English Language Skills Proficiency”, showed that employers in the manufacturing industry believed that English language proficiency skills among employees were still below their expectations.

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Academics believe there are several factors behind the poor command of English among Malaysians.

Universiti Teknologi Mara Academy of Language Studies senior lecturer Peter Francis said many students face fundamental problems in their command of the language.

“Students seldom speak or are reluctant to speak in English even though they have been learning the language since their early stages of schooling because they lack confidence.

“Being in a second language environment, most of them have minimal exposure to the target language, but when they enter university, they are expected to master the language and prepare themselves for employment,” he added.

Other factors that play a role include students’ backgrounds, especially their home environment, socio-economic status, their early schooling experiences and their general exposure, or lack thereof, to the language.

He said studies have shown that socio-economic status plays a vital role and has an effect on parental language encouragement and students’ motivation.

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A majority of students also do not practise oral communication in English outside their language lessons, he said.

“Furthermore, students who are reluctant to speak in English have friends who are also not comfortable communicating in the language.

“The situation is made worse when students mix with friends who are of the same cultural background and prefer to use their mother tongue in their daily communication,” he added.

Management in teaching, psychology, and teacher and peer influence are also factors that affect students’ grasp of the English language.

This was revealed in a 2018 study titled “Low Speaking Proficiency among the Malaysian Undergraduates: Why and How?”, which surveyed 20 undergraduates.

The authors wrote in the paper that without proper investigation and the right solution, the problem will result in unemployment among undergraduates.

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