Challenges of teaching Science in two languages

A memorable day - Teacher's Day in Bukit Kuda 1981

“YOU are posted to SMP (now called SM Sri Puteri), Jalan Kolam Air, Kuala Lumpur.” I stared at the sentence, transfixed.

          I was reading a letter from the Ministry of Education in the 1970s. A fresh graduate from University Malaya with a Diploma in Education, the prospect of starting my teaching career in a Malay medium residential school gave me the shivers! As my primary, secondary and tertiary education was in the English medium, I was overwhelmed by anxiety and apprehension.

          However, I accepted the challenge and resolved to work doubly hard. Arriving early on the first day of work, I was happy to see friendly faces of students and teachers in a clean environment.

The headmistress, Pn Hapsah, was reassuring when I reported for work. “This school is small with only two Forms Four, Five and Six classes each. Initially you will find it tough with the language, but with time, you will cope well and enjoy teaching here,” she said.

Staff SM Seri Puteri, KL
Headmistress Pn Hapsah (seated 6th from left)

      

Camera Club

        Yes, it was tough – and as the saying goes, the tough gets going. There werenot many textbooks in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) for the subjects (Form Four Biologyand Health Science) that I taught, so I had to translate on my own. Every night I burned the midnight oil, armed with dictionaries, istilah books of scientific termsand dogged
 determination. 

New vocabulary filled my mind: percubaan, pernafasan, pepeluhan; salunadi, serambi, rerambut (meaning experiment, respiration, transpiration; artery, auricle and capillary respectively). I was even dreaming in BM!

Many years later, when the istilah changed to a direct translation of the English words like eksperimen, respirasi, transpirasi; arteri, aurikel, kapilari, following the same examples above, new teachers found it easier. 

In the 1970s there were no transparencies, power point presentations nor the World Wide Web. I tried to spice up my lessons with practical experiments, charts, models and filmstrips and even ventured to Filem Negara to borrow educational film reels to reinforce my teaching. Although the audio visual aids were in English, the students got the message.
In Seri Puteri, I was fortunate to have receptive, diligent and disciplined students who helped me with Malay pronunciation whenever I fumbled. We did have fun though. One day, on the topic “vectors of diseases”, I referred to the tse-tse fly as lalat sek si. The whole class burst into laughter because tse-tse is pronounced as “se-xy” in English. That was one lesson my students will never forget!

1973 : Form Teacher

1974: Form Teacher

Science is a progressive subject. During the 1970s, the Nuffield Science Teaching Project was a programme to develop a better approach to teaching Science in Secondary Schools, using discovery learning. I was happy to be sent to Cheras, Kuala Lumpur for the one week-course in my first year of teaching. Meeting other teachers and being trained together was fun and encouraging. 

1973: Nuffield Science Course, Cheras, KL

Teachers have other duties besides teaching. As a Form teacher, advisor to the Photography and Table Tennis Clubs, I learnt new skills like responsibility for my students’ academic, emotional and discipline problems; developing photo prints in the dark; and proficiency in the rules and game of table tennis.

      As duty teacher for the week (school ends at 3pm in Seri Putri for the duty teacher), I had to take lunch with the students in the residential school and report on the menu and other matters. That duty gave me a better insight to the students’ life and helped to establish a closer rapport with them.

     Friendships were fostered from our close-knit staff, comprising Malay, Indian, Chinese and Indonesian teachers. My Head of Science Department and the Indonesian Science teachers were helpful in every way. I found it amusing though addressing the Indonesian teachers as Pak and Ibu rather than Encik or Cik.

After two years, I adapted well to teaching Science in BM, becoming proficient in reprimanding students as well! When the Form Five SPM results were out, my students did exceptionally well. I was ecstatic! When students perform well, teachers jump for joy too!

 After five years in that school, I was transferred to SMP Bukit Kuda (BK), a day school in my hometown. There, all subjects were taught in the English medium. So it was back to the midnight oil for my lesson plans.

Staff of Bukit Kuda School 1978, with multiracial teachers
with Headmistress Miss Sundram (seated, 8th from left)

    Bukit Kuda school is a girls school where the teachers and students are multiracial.  The students were cheerful, hard-working, cooperative and ever willing to learn.  I had many happy and rewarding years teaching the enthusiastic girls there and I am pleased to know that many are successful in their career and life. 

 

Form teacher with BK girls - 1978

Form teacher with BK girls  1979 - Students are multiracial

Teacher's Day 1979

Teachers lining up to compete with BK girls in a
 fun game on Teacher's Day 1982

         

Staff Room: 1983

1984: Teacher's Day

With some teachers in the school's landscaped garden

1990: Green House Committee members and House Mistress

    

Staff of BK singing Teacher's Day Song

With Head Prefect (standing left) colleague, prefects and librarians

With HM, SA, HEM and colleagues

With some teachers in the School Assembly Ground

With Pengetua Pn Fatimah at a
 Teascher's Day function

               Living in Klang, I meet many ex-BK students in shopping malls, social functions, Bukit Kuda reunions and even in line dancing classes or parties. I feel happy when they remember me and we talk together like old friends. Learning of how well they have progressed in their career and family life is most fulfilling.

          

With some students at a BK Reunion

2013- Meeting up with BK students at a line dance function

11 Dec 2014: XBK Reunion

2015: Meet up with ex-BK students at a BK Reunion

30_4_2016: 30th Anniversary BK Class 86 Reunion:

28_10_17_ with exBK students (committee members) and ex_colleagues at a BK reunion 

       Coming back to teaching Science in Bukit Kuda - a few years later, all subjects were changed to the Bahasa Malaysia medium throughout the country! But this time, I had no problems teaching Science in Bahasa Malaysia. Breathing easily again, I confidently taught all Science (Biology and General Science) subjects in Bahasa Malaysia until I retired in the 1990s. 

         Looking back, I realize that teaching and learning Science in any medium – 

Bahasa Malaysia, English or Mandarin - depends a lot on the teacher and student’s 
attitude. If the teacher or student is motivated, conscientious and can adapt to 
changing situations, teaching and learning in any medium are possible.

        In 2003, the Education Ministry reverted to the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, starting with Primary One and Lower Six.

The change to learning Science and Mathematics in English for Malaysian students is a step in the right direction as our country moves forward in this era of technology in a globalised world.

To teachers and students teaching and learning Science and Mathematics in English, have faith in yourself and may you face the challenge with zest.

You can do it! Guru boleh! Pelajar boleh!

      ..........................................................

This article was published in the New Sunday Times on 2nd November 2007.  It is edited and photos are added.

Students and teachers : Hope this brings back sweet memories.