Overcome fear of speaking in English, students told
JOHOR BARU: Many students still have problems conversing in English due to a lack of self-confidence, said Johor Education Department director Shaharudin Sharif.
He said the problem was more prevalent in schools in rural areas where the people tend to speak in their mother tongue.
Shaharudin said the schools had done much to teach students the language and it was up to them to put in the effort to be fluent.
“Learning English in a classroom is not enough. Students should overcome their fear when speaking in the language,” he told reporters after opening the Johor English Language Teaching Association seminar here.
He also urged students to use the Speaker’s Corner at their schools to practise public speaking in English.
“The Speaker’s Corner is a good platform for our students to polish their public speaking skills at a young age,” said Shaharudin.
He said schools in Johor were also encouraged to think out of the box and come out with creative ways to improve English proficiency among the students.
For example, he said they could consider having their programmes or activities at public places.
Source: TheStar