LIMITED English language exposure among pupils is pushing teachers to look beyond textbooks.
For 47 teachers from 47 primary schools in Taiping, Perak, newspaper content offers a way to make language lessons more relevant and engaging.
As participants of The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) workshop held at SK Klian Pauh on Sept 30, they experienced how newspaper material could be adapted for pupils with different proficiency levels, including activities aimed at improving vocabulary, writing and speaking skills.
According to SK Klian Pauh headmistress Zuraidah Ramli, many pupils lack exposure to English, which affects both their vocabulary and confidence.
“Programmes like Star-NiE make learning more interesting by exposing pupils to English through real-life materials,” she said.
She added that the workshop was beneficial to both teachers and pupils.
“We hope to see more hands-on activities and continuous programmes like this in the future,” she said.
SK King Edward VII English department head C. Sangeeta said pupils face several challenges, including weak writing skills, short attention spans and a lack of confidence in speaking English.
“There are also pupils with different levels of proficiency,” she said.
She noted that the workshop was useful in addressing the different needs of pupils in the same classroom.
“The hands-on tasks made it easy to visualise how to actively engage pupils in the classroom,” she said.
Drawing on ideas from the workshop, Sangeeta suggested that teachers use newspaper photographs as prompts for pupils to create stories in groups, allowing them to develop their writing and collaborative skills.
“Most importantly, it encourages critical and creative thinking and makes learning English more enjoyable and meaningful,” she said.
For pupils with stronger English skills, Sangeeta suggested using national or international sports reports to create news-based classroom activities.
“Pupils can select an article, find new words, answer WH-questions and then discuss which team played better and why.
“They can create a new headline and present the news as a 30-second news reporter. Pupils would enjoy role-playing as reporters, especially on topics they are interested in,” she said.
Sangeeta also proposed adding digital elements to newspaper-based activities, such as QR codes linking to online quizzes, vocabulary puzzles and news clips.
“Overall, pupils would definitely benefit from learning English through student-centred activities using real-world content,” she said.
Also present at the workshop conducted by Star-NiE freelance trainer Ruthra Devy was Star Media Group Circulation (North) manager Eileen Ooi.
Since its inception in 1997, Star-NiE has supported English language teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide.
Star-NiE activities are available in StarEdu on Sundays, and in StarLifestyle on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
For enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 In groups of four, find a photograph in the newspaper. Then, create a story based on the photograph. Be creative!
2 In pairs, find an article in the newspaper’s Sports section. Rework the article into a spoken news report. Present the report as if you were broadcast journalists.
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes English language learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
