Teachers’ Views on Students’ Performance in English Language Proficiency Courses via Cefr Descriptors

Abstract

' is a blueprint initiated by The Ministry of Education (MOE), Malaysia, currently launched in 2016. The key pledge to this blueprint is the alignment of Malaysia's English Language Education System with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). CEFR is a benchmark for an international standard that focuses on developing learners who are able to communicate and interact in any language, in this instance, English. The focal point of the Malaysian education reform is to adopt the CEFR levels as the guiding beacon or regulating framework for curriculum development, issues regarding learning materials and the measurement of learning outcomes. In keeping with this reform, the study aims to understand English language teachers' views on the English language proficiency courses in a local university, in Malaysia, based on CEFR scales. The study employs a quantitative approach, where surveys were distributed to twenty-five English language teachers. The data is then analysed quantitatively by frequency counts and percentage. Data shows there are variations in teachers' views towards English language proficiency courses, and this may not necessarily fit into the CEFR standards targeted for university learners. The result of this study acts as preliminary data for further research on the link between English language course content and CEFR standards, as well as expected English language proficiency of university learners. Through this study, it is hoped that future design of teaching and learning materials that contribute to 'proficient' learners at the end of university years, can be developed.

ESL Learners’ Challenges in Speaking English in Malaysian Classroom

“…Furthermore, because English is not a necessary pass subject, some people see it as unimportant. Despite this, English continues to be a world language in commerce and science, and as a result, it will continue to be one of the languages spoken by educated Malaysians (Darmi et al, 2017). It is also widely employed in a variety of sectors, including medicine, engineering, law, and business.…”

Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): A Review on Teachers’ Perception & Plurilingualism

“…Few teachers believed that many of their students struggled to extract main ideas from a rich text. A similar view was also recorded on the writing component as many teachers believed their students were unable to pen clear, rich and organized texts (Darmi et al, 2017).…”

“…Due to globalization and competitiveness in the job market, there is a need for individuals to be able to communicate fluently in English as it is the lingua franca (Yamat et al, 2014). Hence, producing students who are proficient in English according to the international standard has become the key agenda for many East Asia areas namely Singapore, China, Japan as well as Taiwan to name a few (Darmi et al, 2017;Read, 2019). Since the introduction of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in 2015, major changes have been made in the English Education Policy.…”

The Relationship Between Willingness To Communicate And Communication Confidence

“…English in Malaysia is a key contributor in developing the country to achieve its goal of becoming a high-income nation by 2020 (Darmi et al, 2017). According to the National Graduate Employability Blueprint 2012-2017(Ministry of Higher Education, 2012, English is also a compulsory condition for employees in most private sectors and government departments in Malaysia (Ministry of Higher Education, 2015).…”