ENGLISH IS THE WINDOW TO THE WORLD

A very good morning I bid to the honourable judges, contestants and the
time keeper. I am standing here today in front of all of you to give a speech on
English is the window to the world.

When we talk about English, Malaysian students think that it is of one of the
most difficult subject to be learned as the language is not their native language.
Most of them prefer to speak their own mother tongue most of the time. It is
believed that normal children can pick up as many languages to which they are
exposed to until the age of five. Infants are known to be great absorbers of all
types of knowledge, especially speech, the medium of communication so vital
in their early years unlike adults, who very often find the process to be slow,
painful and difficult. The simplest and best way to learn a language is by natural
absorption, mostly by listening, and with a relaxed mind and manner.

There are many occasions in the modern world which provides

opportunities for fostering greater contact with foreigners. In the past, when
travel was extremely hazardous and nearly impossible, people hardly ever heard
another language spoken. In this age of jet transport and highly organised
tourism, it is impossible not to hear several regularly. Movements of people in
search of employment across the globe, for short and long terms, expose them
and their families to quite diverse ethnic groups and cultures. They thus absorb
quite naturally at least some of the basic elements of speech in those countries
and one of the most spoken language is English.

English is the window to the world as many other languages such as

Mandarin. The United Nations and its myriad service organisations have done
immeasurable good in bringing together nations of the world. There are also
many friendship societies which enable people who wish to appreciate
another culture to do so in a most congenial manner. International schools are
also great nurseries of international friendship.

English is an international language, transcending the barriers of distance,

race and creed. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations. The
language of communication in major international meetings and conventions is
English. It is also the lingua franca of the business and commercial world. As
such, the importance of English as a world language cannot be denied.
 As the nation strides towards achieving Vision 2020, the emphasis is on
Science, Mathematics and technical subjects. Many of the books in these fields
of study are in English. Of course it is true that the government has sent
engineers for training in technologically advanced countries like Germany,
Japan and Korea where English is not the main or even a major language.
However, considering that Malaysians study English from their first year in
primary school, it is only logic that it would be easier to promote English than
to start off with a foreign language if we are to look to another language for
sources.

Although many people fear that promoting English would once again
relegate the national language to second place, this may not necessarily be so.
Translation of academic books from English to the national language has been
slow partly because of the lack of experts who are well-versed in both
languages. Proficiency in English may thus be used as a vehicle to progress as it
can increase the store of knowledge in the national language.

What should really be of concern to us is the reality of the situation in

Malaysia today. The standard of English has declined so much that it may
actually hinder many bright students from keeping up at tertiary level simply
because they are not proficient in English. The move to abruptly change the
medium of instruction at tertiary level is thus unwise. Efforts to raise the
standard of English should be done gradually, and not at the expense of any one
generation of students.

The decline in the standard of English is a natural result of the emphasis on

the national language to create a national identity for Malaysians over the last
few decades. Since this has now been achieved, Malaysians can once again look
up to English in order to keep up with the latest developments in the world and
acquire a greater store of knowledge. The role of English should not be
underestimated. Till then, Thank you for lending me your ears.