English medium education for people whose first language is not Essay

English medium education for people whose first language is not English - Essay Example The introduction of colonists’ language faced resistance from many parents in Malaysian society as they took it as the return of the colonist and feared the loss of their own language - their national identity. It is note-worthy that the business class parents or those involved in media or politics knew the value of learning the English Language so favoured it. Another issue was the insufficient availability of skilled teachers, especially within rural areas. This led the government to introduce both mediums of education while emphasizing on mastering English as a foreign language, parents were left to choose which way they wanted their children to learn, which in return brought discrimination in society. Mr. Mahathir, the Prime Minister, who introduced this policy showed his sadness over the decision of moving back to Malaya to educate children as it would bring difficulties for the students to cope with scientific developments in the future (Gooch, 2009). In the video clip w e are given a clear idea that the Malaysian government was familiar with the significance of English language regarding the success of the country, but resistance from certain people towards learning English came because of the colonial history and after independence there was a political desire to promote Malaya. Later, when the need to learn English was accepted by Malaysians, there aroused a