the path Les travels: English can open doors

Sometimes students question why they must learn English. Understandably so. English is spoken throughout Malaysia, but one can certainly go through his or her day without the need of English, especially in a small town like Labis. To show the students one of the reasons why English is valuable, my fellow English teachers and I decided to offer a first-hand experience to our Form 6 students.

On Friday, 5 July, 2013, I, along with three English teachers from SMK Labis, took 38 Form 6 students on a day-trip to Kuala Lumpur to visit the office of the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE). MACEE is the Fulbright Commission in Malaysia and is thus the bread and butter of my English Teaching Assistant program. They also provide opportunities for Malaysian students to study in the United States through EducationUSA, and this was the focus of our visit. “[The idea of studying abroad] is new to me. [The EducationUSA presentation] motivated me to know the culture in the United States. …My favorite time of the day was when we see all of the staff from the United States. I felt like I was in the USA. I love it! And I think I want to go study in the United States,” says Mahzan, one of the participating students.

A warm-up US trivia activity tested the students’ prior knowledge of the United States. While some students successfully answered questions asking for the number of states in the US and the name of the capital city, all were baffled by the number of colleges and universities and the number of Malaysians studying in the US. Can you believe there are over 4,800 universities in the United States? And that over 6,000 Malaysian students are currently studying there?

Getting down to business, the students attentively listened to presentations given by members of the EducationUSA staff regarding opportunities for Malaysian students to further their education in the United States. They learned how to choose the right program and university, as well as about the required entrance examinations – the TOEFL, SAT, and ACT exams – common online applications, scholarships, and available resources. The students were also shown the resource library at the MACEE office and were told they may come and use the books any time they are in Kuala Lumpur.

The visit to MACEE and EducationUSA concluded with the students’ presentations of short “Oh My English!” skits. Contrary to the popular TV show “Oh My English!” (you can find full episodes on YouTube), my students acted the part of Malaysian students studying in the United States (instead of a foreign teacher in a Malaysian school setting). Each group had a different location – in the dormitory, in the canteen, in the classroom on the first day of class, and meeting classmates for the first time – and they had to predict how their experience as an exchange student would be. Uproariously funny, the students thoroughly enjoyed this activity and performed some very entertaining skits.

Naturally, a trip to Kuala Lumpur is not complete without some time for shopping. After an educational morning, lunch and prayers, the students were given time at Berjaya Times Square, a local mall, to shop, eat, watch movies, or enter the indoor theme park. There is no shopping center, or supermarket/grocery store for that matter, in Labis, so this was a much appreciated opportunity for the students.

At the end of the day, the students and teachers were exhausted and ready to make the five hour trek back to Labis. Nevertheless, the day’s activities at the Malaysian-American Commission for Educational Exchange were very beneficial and worthwhile for the students who learned a plethora about the American school system and opportunities available to them after secondary school. As student Lisshaline said in her Thank You speech to the staff of EducationUSA and MACEE, “I hope students can keep all this knowledge in their mind and apply it for a better future.”