SUBECT:

ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION

ASSIGNMENT:
FIK 3042 - ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION 2


NAME:
SATHIAH DEVI A/P VADIVELU


MATRIK NUMBER:
20102040939


GROUP:
EL-B02


LECTURER NAME:
MISS INTAN SAFINAS BINTI MOHD ARIFF ALBAKRI

DEADLINE:
15MEI2011



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REPORT-1


Title: Reading and Writing (RAW) program

Introduction

The RAW program was initially introduced in the school by Children InIormation Learning and
Development Centre (CHILD) which is a non-proIit organization. CHILD donated 450 Ladybird
books to the school (Peter and Jane series, and Lady Bird stories). These books were to be used by
the school in the RAW program, that would be planned, designed and implemented in a Iashion
deemed appropriate by the school's English language teachers. We would send quarterly reports
back to CHILD so that they could assess the eIIectiveness oI the program and gauge iI there were
any areas Ior improvement, and areas in which they could lend more assistance. Apart Irom that, the
program would be owned and carried out by the school.

Aims & Objectives

The aims and objectives oI the RAW program are:

1. To Iamiliarize students with reading materials in the English language.
2. To instill a love Ior reading in English in our students.
3. To make English lessons more Iun and enjoyable Ior all students.
4. To help develop the reading Iluency oI students.
5. To improve the English language proIiciency oI students.
6. To improve the students' writing skills.

Duration

The RAW program runs throughout the year. The program is conducted in the classroom once in
every 2 weeks, and takes 30 minutes each time it is conducted.

Target

The target group oI the RAW program is supposed to consist oI students Irom all year groups
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(Standard One Standard Six). However, currently, the program is only conducted in the lower
primary age group (Standard One Standard Three, ages 7-9). All six classes Irom each year group
are involved in the program, bringing the total number oI classes targeted to 18.

Report on implementation

The RAW program was started in 2010 and is in its second year oI implementation. In each 30
minute session, Iirst the teacher would conduct a pre-reading activity. For example, looking at the
book covers and discussing them, or playing a word game related to the book. Then, the students
would each be given a book and they would read the book silently. The teacher would give
guidance to students who were struggling with any words. There were also 'buddies' appointed to
the weaker pupils to read with them. While reading, students would sometimes be given certain
simple tasks to do, Ior example, identiIying words beginning with a certain letter. AIter reading a
portion oI the book assigned Ior the day, students would gather together again and the teacher
would conduct a post-reading activity like a short role-play oI a scene Irom the story, or discussing
certain questions about the story.

Students would Iirst start with the Level 1A books, and then upon mastery oI that level move on to
Level 1B, and then 1C, and then 2A and so on. Students would be assessed through their ability to
read all the key words in the books, and answer simple comprehension questions about the story.
Teachers kept a checklist to keep track oI which level students were at.


Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

1. The program has given the opportunity to students Irom poorer and less educated Iamilies to
see and read books they would otherwise not be aIIorded the chance to read. The excitement
and enthusiasm oI these children have been very apparent to all teachers involved in the
program. The children have clearly begun to enjoy reading in English, despite their struggle
with their poor reading skills.

2. The program has helped make the English lessons in school more interesting and more well-
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rounded. BeIore, the Iocus oI most lessons used to be on writing. II there were reading
activities conducted, they consisted oI mostly reading comprehension exercises. Now, our
teachers have realized that it is as important to develop the reading skills oI students as it is
to develop their writing skills. However, it is not only the reading skills oI students that have
been improved but also their writing, speaking and listening skills. This is because the
activities that are carried out under the program are not only the reading oI the books but
also the other pre- and post- reading activities that require the children to interact with the
teacher and one another, and respond to the books verbally and non-verbally.

3. The RAW program has inspired other program to be started in the school. For example, a
Reading Fair is now in the planning stages by the English teachers as a Iollow-up activity to
the program. In the Reading Fair, there is to be a Reader's Theatre and other activities
carried out by the students themselves to demonstrate what they have learned in the RAW
program. All students, including the ones Irom the low-proIiciency classes, will be involved,
to give them a sense oI pride in their achievements.

4. The English teachers in the school, through the RAW program, have had more opportunities
both to interact with and collaborate with one another. The teachers meet at the end oI every
month to discuss the progress and eIIectiveness oI the program, and to come up with ideas
Ior how their implementation oI the program can be improved. These sessions have proven
to be very helpIul as many good ideas have been shared and exchanged with one another.
One such idea is the idea oI conducting a joint-class theatre perIormance, based on one oI
the books read in class.

eaknesses

1. CHILD required that each class, regardless oI their proIiciency level, started at level 1A oI
the Peter and Jane series. While this was useIul Ior the lower-proIiciency classes, many oI
the higher-proIiciency students Iound those books too easy and thus not very appealing.
However, the teachers were encouraged to be creative with their pre- and post- reading
activities and conduct more challenging activities Ior the higher-proIiciency students so that
they would not be bored. Also, one those classes reached the higher levels in the books, they
were more challenged and given more guidance.

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2. There were very serious time constraints that did not allow the teachers to conduct the
program as consistently as they ideally wanted to. Although the initial plan was to run the
program once in every 2 weeks Ior 30 minutes each session, there were many times when it
could not be conducted because oI other school activities taking place, or simply because the
teacher also needed to meet certain syllabus requirements. In many other schools, there is
normally an amount oI time set aside each day Ior students to read quietly. However, there is
no similar period set apart Ior a reading program everyday, and thus the teachers were Iorced
to use their English lesson periods to conduct the program. This was also made very diIIicult
by the Iact that in an SJK school, there is only 2 hours oI English every week. To delegate
30 minutes every 2 weeks to the program was oIten very diIIicult, as there were a Iew other
programs the teachers needed to run as well. As such, there were weeks when the program
could not be conducted, causing a loss in continuity.


3. We did not have enough books to enable more than one class oI students to use them at the
same time. In each set (level or title) there were 30 books. Because oI this, only one class
could be using the set at any one time. This caused the program to move slower than it could
have iI there were more books in each set.

4. In every class, there were students oI diIIerent proIiciency levels. Not all students Iinished
reading each book level at the same time. Students who could read the books Iast oIten had
to wait Ior their slower Iriends to Iinish beIore being given the next book to read. Many
would get Irustrated and start disrupting their other Iriends. In view oI this, it was suggested
that the teachers bring in other story books as well Ior the Iast-readers to be able to read
while waiting Ior their Iriends to Iinish.

Suggestions and recommendations

1. The RAW program is still a Iairly new program to the school, and as such it is only the
Ladybird Peter and Jane series books that are being used in the program. However, other
books should also be brought in to keep the students interested. For example, popular
children Iairy tales, and also local Malaysian short stories.
2. The program should be extended to the upper primary (Standard 4 Standard 6) students so
that they too beneIit Irom it. The implementation oI the program might be diIIerent and the
resources used diIIerent too, but the program should be conducted among them so that they
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too will begin to develop a love Ior reading.
3. There should be training material and more resources provided Ior the teachers involved in
the program. For example, a guidebook oI activities that can be carried out in the classroom,
suggestions oI how to optimize the books, and Ladybird CD's and DVD's that can be shown
to students upon their completion oI a title.

Conclusion

The RAW program has been oI great beneIit to this school, but its implementation needs to be
constantly reviewed and improved so that it will continue to see success.
























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PROGRAM-2

TITLE: PRO1EK ANAK ANGKAT (PAA)

Introduction.
Our school has implemented many English language programmes to enhance the quality oI the
language among students. One oI the important programme that has been signiIicantly improved the
quality oI the language is 'Project Anak Angkat , PAA.

Aims and Objectives.

The aims and the objectives oI PAA are as below:-

1. To help the students to develop their proficiency. Some students are very slow in grabbing the
lessons taught to them. Some time they hardly understand a lesson when it is taught in a big
classroom, where they are not able to Iollow the lesson when it is too Iast according to the level oI
others in the class. These students` proIiciency level will be very low compare with other students.
PAA gives the student a second chance to experience the learning and it enhances their proIiciency
in the language.

2. To create an opportunity for the slow learners to get personal attention from teachers. There
are more than 30 students in a class and thereIore it is impossible Ior a teacher to pay attention
closely to every student. PAA creates the opportunity Ior them to get personal attention.

3. To help the students to do extra work with the guidance of teachers. PAA is implemented
especially Ior slow learners and they will be guided along when they have to do extra worksheets,
essays outside the class.

4. To teach the students the correct ways to tackle questions in UPSR examination. PAA
requires the students to do sample question papers and that they could learn techniques to answer
questions in their public examination.

5. To create confident in students. When pupils are trained under PAA , it will create more
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conIidence in them to sit Ior the public examination.

6. To create a comfortable environment for the students to discuss their problems in studies.
Some students would be so much hesitated to share their problems when they are in Iront oI people
in a classroom. Through PAA they will be tackled individually and this may help them to be sincere
and open to let the teachers know about what are the challenges and diIIiculties that they are Iacing.

Duration of the program

'Projek anak angkat can be said is implemented throughout a year or at least Ior 8 months in a
year. It starts in the month oI January oI each year and continues until the students sit Ior their
public examination.

Target group

The targeted group Ior the project is Year 6 students in our school. They are aged 12 to 13 years old.
These students are among who has problems in their studies .Usually they are streamed through
examinations and placed in last 3 classes in the school .These students are considered as slow
learners and they have very critical problems in their language.

Report on implementation of Program

Projek Anak Angkat` is a project, implemented Ior the total beneIits oI students. Students Irom the
selected target group are divided into small groups which contain 6 or 7 pupils in each group. Then
each group are assigned under a teacher`s inspection and supervision. Students are provided with
modules that are prepared by the English teachers oI Year 6. Students are required to do the
worksheets in the module once a week during their English period in their classroom. An overall
and brieI explanation on how to go about doing the worksheets in the module will be given by the
teachers to the students beIore they could start to do the exercises. Later all the work will be
submitted to the teacher who has been assigned to each group oI students. The teacher would have
to mark the children`s work. This teacher has a huge responsibility to identiIy the area that the
students are weak at and try to settle students` problems in the particular section. The teacher has to
have a discussion session with the students assigned to her at least once in a week. The teacher can
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give the students more exercises other than the worksheets in the module according to the students`
need. This process is continued Irom the beginning oI the year until the examination.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Programme.

Strengths

One oI the signiIicant strength oI the PAA is that, it is a team work among the teachers to move the
students towards the success oI UPSR together. Burdens oI the teachers oI Year 6 are divided
equally and that gives way Ior the teachers to work in less pressured environment. PAA also gives
pupils the opportunity to get special and closer attention Irom the teachers. This project allows
students to do more practice even when they are outside the class. Other strength oI the project is, it
is so systematic. The material that has to be given to the students is well planned and the modules
created actually cater student`s need that would really help the students to improve their written
English. Other strength oI PAA is it is strongly supported by school management and Parents
Teachers Associations (PTA). School management and PTA hand in help and give Iull support Ior
the Iinancial need oI PAA. For instance to print and photocopy the PAA modules.

Weaknesses

PAA still have many weaknesses in implementing it. The weaknesses are about some teachers and
the students themselves. Teachers in charge have to Iix a day in a week to meet all her students in
the group to teach or discuss with them. Sometimes the teachers in charge will be having trouble to
gather and meet all the students under their supervision at one time. This can be little problematic
Ior the teacher to handle the program smoothly. Whenever they can`t meet all the students at one
time, they have to look Ior some extra time to be spent on other students whom they have not met
Ior the week. Teachers are very busy with their other commitments in the school and sometimes it is
diIIicult Ior them to spend more time on PAA. The teachers in charge are also overloaded with so
many works and that would make them not to Iocus much on this program. Other than that, some
teachers who are in charge actually not English optionists and thereIore they might have problems
in teaching English mainly in English grammar. Furthermore, some oI the students would not be so
interested to stay back aIter school due to some problems such as transportation problems and lack
oI interest or reluctance to learn more. This attitude may put the PAA a Iailure Ior some groups.

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Suggestions and recommendations.

PAA is a good program that should be continued every year. This program will be more successIul
iI all the teachers are given training on how to teach and mark the papers beIore they are appointed
as teachers in charge. Students are also must be given motivations so that they would participated
Iully in the program. Parents should get involve and should give moral support to provide
transportation Iood Ior their children.

Conclusion

~ Projek Anak Angkat PAA is a great program that has helped a lot in improving the English
language standard in our school. It is a team work among the teachers to move the students towards
a great improvement and betterment. Pupils especially the slow learners always wanted to get
attended individually so that they can be very sincere oI what they know and what they do not
know, so that they would able to get help Ior the area that they are weak at. Trough PAA students
have a plenty oI opportunities to get special and closer attention Irom the teachers. This project
allows students to do more practice even when they are outside the class. So Iar it is systematically
implemented in our school. The materials that have to be given to the students is well planned and
the modules created cater students need, that really helped students to improve their written
English. It is not deniable that there are still some problems that the teachers and students have to
Iace to successIully run the program. As discussed earlier sometimes the teachers in charge will be
having trouble to gather and meet all the students under their supervision at one time ;The teachers
in charge are also overloaded with so many works and some teachers who are in charge actually
not English optionists and thereIore they might have problems in teaching English. Furthermore
some students are not interested to spend extra time to study. The English panel in our school
always aware oI the constraints and challenges that they have to Iace and they are also prepared to
Iace them thought our the year. Every now and then the English panel giving teachers courses to
motivate them and improve their language proIiciency so that they can run the project successIully.
In conclusion, on my view, 'Project Anak Angkat, PAA is a great program that all school should
consider to run in their schools iI they really want to improve their quality oI English language in
their school.

References

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English society Iolder:-

a- Obtain Irom RAW program report 2010
b- Obtain Irom Anak angkat program report 2008-2010
c- Ashraham Sung, (2005/2006). 330 English Essays, Minerva Publications (N.S)