Examining Malaysian ESL Classroom Practice to Understand Students Ability

In Malaysia where English is taught communicatively and is recognized as an important second language, the ability to use it for various purposes is seen as an asset. To many students, exposure to English is exclusive to the classrooms. This means that whether or not they can develop the skills to function well in English depends on their experience in the classrooms. This study focuses on 10 non-participant classroom observations in 3 schools during ESL classes. The observations intended to study the practices of teaching and learning of English in Malaysian ESL classrooms. The data gathered may inform on how students learn English and the possibility for them to use it for communicative purposes. Overall, the study found important insights into the field of English language teaching and learning especially in Malaysian context. The observations in the classrooms disclosed that the teachers emphasised on developing reading and writing skills as well as three aspects of English language: grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. However, they had the tendency to focus on having students to complete their pre-planned tasks rather than helping them to develop communicative abilities. There were very little opportunities for students to develop skills that may help them to use English that mirrors its use in real life situations.