Based on surveys conducted by MOE and external agencies - are weaker in oral communication and lacked opportunities to use standard English. 'Therefore, the next step forward is to nurture the oral communication skills of our students,' said Mr Iswaran. -- ST PHOTO: ARTHUR LEE CH
'Unresistable offer', 'This is a self-cleaning cafeteria'.
Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education S. Iswaran showed these examples of misused English in slides to members of the House on Wednesday, much to their amusement and chuckles.
But it was no laughing matter as Mr Iswaran used them to drive home the point that collective effort - by schools, the media and the community - is needed to raise the English language proficiency standards in Singapore.
The focus of schools should be on speaking skills, he said.
While the pass rates for English at the O-level and General Paper at the A-level are about 90 per cent now, with students scoring double the distinctions compared to 20 years ago, surveys by Ministry of Education and external agencies have shown that students are weaker in oral skills and lack the opportunities to use standard English.
'Therefore, the next step forward is to nurture the oral communication skills of our students,' said Mr Iswaran.
Going forward, MOE will focus on two key areas: improving the quality of teachers and enriching the English language environment in schools.
English language and English medium teachers will, by early next year, be able to attend in-service training at the English Language Institute of Singapore. Schools will also be provided with funding to help them come up with innovative programmes for English learning. Another 25 schools will also be engaging language facilitators to conduct enrichment lessons, in areas such as oral presentation, drama or story-telling.
