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THE MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL EFL SPEAKING CURRICULUM: A THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS

Year 2016, Volume 2, Issue 6, 465 - 474, 09.12.2016

Hazleena Baharun Harison Mohd Sidek Noor Saazai Mat Saad Mohd Muzhafar Mohd Idrus Haliza Harun Ramiaida Darmi Norhana Abdullah Zarina Ashikin Zakaria

https://doi.org/10.18768/ijaedu.288042

Abstract

Goal–achieving curricular are often coherent at their fundamental level. In order for a curriculum to achieve its goals, it is imperative that the curriculum is coherent at all levels. The contents presented in a curriculum must align with its theoretical underpinning. The present Malaysian English language curriculum is developed and designed based on the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine if the theoretical grounding of the Malaysian form five English language curriculum, in particular the speaking curriculum, is in alignment with its communicative label. In line with its label, the speaking curriculum embedded in the Malaysian form five English language curriculum should be developed and designed based on the CLT. It should reflect the CLT approach. The data for this study were collected from the Form Five English Language Curriculum Specifications document and the Form Five English Language textbook. In analyzing the alignment of the Malaysian form five English language speaking curriculum with the communicative approach, the data were categorized under major second language acquisition (SLA) theories and second language (L2) speaking theories. The findings show that the socio-cognitive and socio-cultural theories are highly reflected in the Malaysian form five English Language speaking curriculum, the two theories which are closely related to the communicative approach. This shows that the Malaysian form five English language speaking curriculum is primarily in alignment with its communicative label. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications on English as a foreign language (EFL) speaking instruction.

Keywords

Communicative Language Teaching, L2 speaking theories, English language speaking curriculum

References

  • Abdul Aziz, N. H. (2007). ESL students’ perspectives on language anxiety. Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia: Serdang.
  • Abdullah. H & Sidek, H.M. (2012). L2 writing feedback: Alignment of instructional planning and implementation. Journal of Language Studies, 15, 15-17.
  • A. Rahman, N. H. (2014). From curriculum reform to classroom practice: An evaluation of the English primary curriculum in Malaysia. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of York.
  • Anthony, E. (1963). Approach, method, and technique. English Language Teaching, 17(2), 63-67.
  • Ashman, A., & Gillies, R. (Eds.). (2003). Cooperative learning: The social and intellectual outcomes of learning in groups. Routledge.
  • Baharun, H., Sidek, H.M., M.M. Idrus, N.S.M. Saad, (2016). Task-Based Language Learning: Investigating the Dynamic of Learners’ Oral Interaction. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(5), 570-580.
  • Basturkmen, H. L. (1999). A content analysis of ELT textbook blurbs: Reflections of theory in use. RELC, 30(18), 20-38.
  • Brandl, K. (2007). Principles of communicative language teaching and task-based instruction. Communicative language teaching in action: Putting principles to work, 1-38.
  • Chan, S.H., Abdullah, A.N. & Yusuf, N. (2012). Investigating the construct of anxiety in relation to speaking skills among ESL tertiary learners. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 18(3), 155-166.
  • Ellis, R. (2003). Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Form Five English Language Curriculum Specifications. (2003). Ministry of Education, Malaysia (MOE). Retrieve from http://www.moe.gov.my.
  • Foster, P. (1999). Task-based learning and pedagogy. ELT Journal, 53(1), 69-70.
  • Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (eds.), Sociolinguistics (pp. 269-293). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
  • Kumpulainen, K. & Wray, D. (2002). (Eds). Classroom interaction and social learning: from theory to practice. New York: Routledge Falmer.
  • Long, M. H. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. In W. Ritchie and T.K. Bhatia (Eds.), Handbook of research on language acquisition: Second language acquisition volume 2. New York: Academic Press.
  • Long, M. H. & Porter, P. (1985). Group work, interlanguage talk and second language acquisition. TESOL Quarterly, 19(2), 207-228
  • Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (2015). http://portal.mpm.edu.my/en/statistik-perkhidmatan-online.
  • Matsuoka, R. & Evans, D. R. (2004). Socio-cognitive approach in second language acquisition research. Journal of Nursing Studies, 3(1), 1-9.
  • Mohammadipour, M. & MD. Rashid, S. (2015). The Impact of Task-Based Instruction Program on Fostering ESL Learners’ Speaking Ability: A Cognitive Approach. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(2), 113-126.
  • Nassaji, H. & Tian, J. (2010). Collaboative and individual output tasks and their effects on learning English phrasal verbs. Language Teaching Research, 14(4), 397-419.
  • Pica, T. (1994). Questions from the language classroom: research perspectives. TESOL Quarterly, 28, 49-79.
  • Rahmat, N. H., Rahman, S. A. B. S. A. & Yunos, D. R. M. (2015). Investigating turntaking strategies in class discussions among ESL adult learners. English Review: Journal of English Education, 3(2), 139-144.
  • Richards, J. C. & Rodgers, T. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2ed). New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Saad, N.S.M., Yamat, Y., Sidek, H.M., Baharun, H. & Idrus, M.M. (2016a), Acts of Agency in English Language Learning Experience. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(6), 733-746.
  • Saad, N.S.M., Sidek, H.M., Baharun, H. & Idrus, M.M. & Yunus. M.Y. (2016b). A Conceptual Framework to Explore the English Language Learning Experiences of International Students in Malaysia. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(6), 453-464.
  • Sabri, U. & Qin, T. Y. (2014). Communication apprehension among Nilai college students. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 5(5), 46-49.
  • Shing, S. R. & Yin, L. K. (2014). Using films to teach speaking in the ESL classroom: A case study. UNISEL Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(1), 50-56.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2010a). An analysis of the EFL secondary reading curriculum in Malaysia: approaches to reading and preparation for higher education. Doctor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh.
  • Sidek, H.M. (2010b). Reading Attitudes a Case Study in Malaysia. Annals of Language Teaching, (pp. 209-215), Boca Raton, Florida: Universal-Publishers.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2010c). Reading Instruction: Theory and Practice. Nilai: Usim Publisher.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2012a). EFL reading instruction: Communicative task-based approach. International Journal of Instruction, 5(2), 109-128.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2012b). EFL textbook analysis: A case study. Language and Literacy Journal, 14(3), 27-45.
  • Sidek, H.M. (2012c). Reading Attitudes: A Case Study in Malaysia. Annals of Language and Learning: Proceedings of the 2009 International Online Language Conference (IOLC 2009), p.209. Boca Raton: Universal Publisher
  • Sidek, H.M. (2012d). EFL Language Learning Personality Traits and Instruction. International Journal of Learning, 18(5), 255-272.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2013). A Cross-Linguistic Study of Vocabulary Knowledge and Second Language Reading Development. Frontiers of Language and Teaching, 4, 178-185.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2013). Communicative reading instructional approach: A Curriculum Review. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies, 7(1), 9-20.
  • Sidek, H.M., H. Abdullah, H.A. Rahim & M. Yuslina. (2014). ESL Reading Instruction: Alignment of Curriculum and Implementation. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 118, 442-449.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2014). English Language Reading Preparation for Higher Education: An Evaluation of the Form Four English Language Textbook and Instructional Design, 22(2), 539-558. Journal of Social Science and Humanities (PERTANIKA).
  • Sidek, H. M. & Abdullah, H. (2013). EFL Reading Comprehension and Preparation For Higher Education: A Textbook Analysis. Journal of Teaching and Education, 24(4), 425-435.
  • Sidek, H. M., Abdullah, H. & Rahim, H.A. (2013). Reading Curriculum and Instructional Analysis: Preparation for Academic Literacy at Higher Institutions. Journal of Teaching and Education, 2(2), 389-396.
  • Sidek, H.M., Saad, N.S.M., Baharun, H. & Idrus, M.M. (2016a). An Analysis of Rhetorical Moves in Abstract in Conference Prioceedings. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(4), 24-31.
  • Sidek, H.M., Baharun, H., Saad, N.S.M., & Idrus, M.M. (2016b). English as a Foreign Language Fluency: A Pilot Study. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(4), 70-79.
  • Swain, M. (1985) Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
  • Swain, M. (1995). Three functions of output in second language learning. In G. Cook & B. Seidhofer (Eds.), Principles and practice in the study of language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Swain, M. (2005). The output hypothesis: Theory and research. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), The handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Swain, M. & Lapkin, S. (2002). Talking it through: Two French immersion learners’ response to reformulation. International Journal of Educational Research, 37, 285-304.
  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Year 2016, Volume 2, Issue 6, 465 - 474, 09.12.2016

Hazleena Baharun Harison Mohd Sidek Noor Saazai Mat Saad Mohd Muzhafar Mohd Idrus Haliza Harun Ramiaida Darmi Norhana Abdullah Zarina Ashikin Zakaria

https://doi.org/10.18768/ijaedu.288042

Abstract

References

  • Abdul Aziz, N. H. (2007). ESL students’ perspectives on language anxiety. Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia: Serdang.
  • Abdullah. H & Sidek, H.M. (2012). L2 writing feedback: Alignment of instructional planning and implementation. Journal of Language Studies, 15, 15-17.
  • A. Rahman, N. H. (2014). From curriculum reform to classroom practice: An evaluation of the English primary curriculum in Malaysia. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of York.
  • Anthony, E. (1963). Approach, method, and technique. English Language Teaching, 17(2), 63-67.
  • Ashman, A., & Gillies, R. (Eds.). (2003). Cooperative learning: The social and intellectual outcomes of learning in groups. Routledge.
  • Baharun, H., Sidek, H.M., M.M. Idrus, N.S.M. Saad, (2016). Task-Based Language Learning: Investigating the Dynamic of Learners’ Oral Interaction. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(5), 570-580.
  • Basturkmen, H. L. (1999). A content analysis of ELT textbook blurbs: Reflections of theory in use. RELC, 30(18), 20-38.
  • Brandl, K. (2007). Principles of communicative language teaching and task-based instruction. Communicative language teaching in action: Putting principles to work, 1-38.
  • Chan, S.H., Abdullah, A.N. & Yusuf, N. (2012). Investigating the construct of anxiety in relation to speaking skills among ESL tertiary learners. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 18(3), 155-166.
  • Ellis, R. (2003). Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Form Five English Language Curriculum Specifications. (2003). Ministry of Education, Malaysia (MOE). Retrieve from http://www.moe.gov.my.
  • Foster, P. (1999). Task-based learning and pedagogy. ELT Journal, 53(1), 69-70.
  • Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (eds.), Sociolinguistics (pp. 269-293). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
  • Kumpulainen, K. & Wray, D. (2002). (Eds). Classroom interaction and social learning: from theory to practice. New York: Routledge Falmer.
  • Long, M. H. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. In W. Ritchie and T.K. Bhatia (Eds.), Handbook of research on language acquisition: Second language acquisition volume 2. New York: Academic Press.
  • Long, M. H. & Porter, P. (1985). Group work, interlanguage talk and second language acquisition. TESOL Quarterly, 19(2), 207-228
  • Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (2015). http://portal.mpm.edu.my/en/statistik-perkhidmatan-online.
  • Matsuoka, R. & Evans, D. R. (2004). Socio-cognitive approach in second language acquisition research. Journal of Nursing Studies, 3(1), 1-9.
  • Mohammadipour, M. & MD. Rashid, S. (2015). The Impact of Task-Based Instruction Program on Fostering ESL Learners’ Speaking Ability: A Cognitive Approach. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(2), 113-126.
  • Nassaji, H. & Tian, J. (2010). Collaboative and individual output tasks and their effects on learning English phrasal verbs. Language Teaching Research, 14(4), 397-419.
  • Pica, T. (1994). Questions from the language classroom: research perspectives. TESOL Quarterly, 28, 49-79.
  • Rahmat, N. H., Rahman, S. A. B. S. A. & Yunos, D. R. M. (2015). Investigating turntaking strategies in class discussions among ESL adult learners. English Review: Journal of English Education, 3(2), 139-144.
  • Richards, J. C. & Rodgers, T. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2ed). New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Saad, N.S.M., Yamat, Y., Sidek, H.M., Baharun, H. & Idrus, M.M. (2016a), Acts of Agency in English Language Learning Experience. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(6), 733-746.
  • Saad, N.S.M., Sidek, H.M., Baharun, H. & Idrus, M.M. & Yunus. M.Y. (2016b). A Conceptual Framework to Explore the English Language Learning Experiences of International Students in Malaysia. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(6), 453-464.
  • Sabri, U. & Qin, T. Y. (2014). Communication apprehension among Nilai college students. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 5(5), 46-49.
  • Shing, S. R. & Yin, L. K. (2014). Using films to teach speaking in the ESL classroom: A case study. UNISEL Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(1), 50-56.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2010a). An analysis of the EFL secondary reading curriculum in Malaysia: approaches to reading and preparation for higher education. Doctor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh.
  • Sidek, H.M. (2010b). Reading Attitudes a Case Study in Malaysia. Annals of Language Teaching, (pp. 209-215), Boca Raton, Florida: Universal-Publishers.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2010c). Reading Instruction: Theory and Practice. Nilai: Usim Publisher.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2012a). EFL reading instruction: Communicative task-based approach. International Journal of Instruction, 5(2), 109-128.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2012b). EFL textbook analysis: A case study. Language and Literacy Journal, 14(3), 27-45.
  • Sidek, H.M. (2012c). Reading Attitudes: A Case Study in Malaysia. Annals of Language and Learning: Proceedings of the 2009 International Online Language Conference (IOLC 2009), p.209. Boca Raton: Universal Publisher
  • Sidek, H.M. (2012d). EFL Language Learning Personality Traits and Instruction. International Journal of Learning, 18(5), 255-272.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2013). A Cross-Linguistic Study of Vocabulary Knowledge and Second Language Reading Development. Frontiers of Language and Teaching, 4, 178-185.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2013). Communicative reading instructional approach: A Curriculum Review. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies, 7(1), 9-20.
  • Sidek, H.M., H. Abdullah, H.A. Rahim & M. Yuslina. (2014). ESL Reading Instruction: Alignment of Curriculum and Implementation. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 118, 442-449.
  • Sidek, H. M. (2014). English Language Reading Preparation for Higher Education: An Evaluation of the Form Four English Language Textbook and Instructional Design, 22(2), 539-558. Journal of Social Science and Humanities (PERTANIKA).
  • Sidek, H. M. & Abdullah, H. (2013). EFL Reading Comprehension and Preparation For Higher Education: A Textbook Analysis. Journal of Teaching and Education, 24(4), 425-435.
  • Sidek, H. M., Abdullah, H. & Rahim, H.A. (2013). Reading Curriculum and Instructional Analysis: Preparation for Academic Literacy at Higher Institutions. Journal of Teaching and Education, 2(2), 389-396.
  • Sidek, H.M., Saad, N.S.M., Baharun, H. & Idrus, M.M. (2016a). An Analysis of Rhetorical Moves in Abstract in Conference Prioceedings. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(4), 24-31.
  • Sidek, H.M., Baharun, H., Saad, N.S.M., & Idrus, M.M. (2016b). English as a Foreign Language Fluency: A Pilot Study. International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(4), 70-79.
  • Swain, M. (1985) Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
  • Swain, M. (1995). Three functions of output in second language learning. In G. Cook & B. Seidhofer (Eds.), Principles and practice in the study of language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Swain, M. (2005). The output hypothesis: Theory and research. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), The handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Swain, M. & Lapkin, S. (2002). Talking it through: Two French immersion learners’ response to reformulation. International Journal of Educational Research, 37, 285-304.
  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Details

Subjects Social
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Hazleena Baharun This is me

Harison Mohd Sidek This is me

Noor Saazai Mat Saad This is me

Mohd Muzhafar Mohd Idrus This is me

Haliza Harun This is me

Ramiaida Darmi This is me

Norhana Abdullah This is me

Zarina Ashikin Zakaria This is me

Publication Date December 9, 2016
Application Date January 25, 2017
Acceptance Date January 16, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2016, Volume 2, Issue 6

Cite

EndNote %0 IJAEDU- International E-Journal of Advances in Education THE MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL EFL SPEAKING CURRICULUM: A THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS %A Hazleena Baharun , Harison Mohd Sidek , Noor Saazai Mat Saad , Mohd Muzhafar Mohd Idrus , Haliza Harun , Ramiaida Darmi , Norhana Abdullah , Zarina Ashikin Zakaria %T THE MALAYSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL EFL SPEAKING CURRICULUM: A THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS %D 2016 %J IJAEDU- International E-Journal of Advances in Education %P 2411-1821-2411-1821 %V 2 %N 6 %R doi: 10.18768/ijaedu.288042 %U 10.18768/ijaedu.288042
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