STPM Science and Mathematics Subjects - You can answer in Malay until 2007
Malaysia Students
resulted in the use of English replacing Bahasa Melayu (Malay language)
in all science and mathematics subjects. Besides that, new syllabus in
most PMR subjects and a new SPM subject, English for Science and
Technology
(http://malaysian-students.blogspot.com/2006/04/spm-est-easy-simple-test-part-1-of-2.html)
(EST
http://malaysian-students.blogspot.com/2006/04/spm-est-how-to-score-est-part-2-of-2.html)
are introduced. The use of English in all science and mathematics
subjects only involved Primary One (also known as Standard One),
Secondary One and Lower Sixth Form students in 2003. Thus, students in
other forms that year were still following the old syllabus and
learning science and mathematics subjects in Malay. These students
would undergo the language change only when they moved on to either
Secondary One or Lower Sixth Form.
So, this year Lower Sixth Form students including me undergo the
drastic language change. Bear in mind that we have spent five years in
our secondary schools learning science and mathematics subjects in
Malay. For your information, Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)
science and mathematics subjects include Mathematics S, Mathematics T,
Further Mathematics T, Computing, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The
plain truth is that this sudden change is a total headache for most of
us.
Let me show you a few instances to help you visualize its effects on
us. Tenaga keupayaan graviti, jisim molekul relatif and indeks pecahan
in English is gravitational potential energy, relative molecular mass
and fractional indices respectively. Some other terminology in English
contrasts with the respective terms in Malay in terms of spelling such
as coplanar (pada satu satah), luminous intensity (keamatan cahaya),
diagonal (pepenjuru), adjacent (bersebelahan), decay (pereputan),
concentration (kepekatan), solution (larutan), constant (pemalar),
variable (pembolehubah), coefficient (pekali)... Some very frustrating
terminology in Chemistry includes sodium Na (natrium) and potassium K
(kalium), to name a few. This change affects us the most in answering
essay questions, not to mention the grammatical errors we may make.
Luckily, I am told by my teacher that we are still allowed to answer
the actual STPM examinations in Malay besides in English until 2007.
However, English is highly recommended. She also stressed that we can
answer the questions in either Malay or English but not both. This
means that if we choose to answer in Malay, we should write the whole
essay in Malay only. Next year, 2007 is the final year when Malay is
accepted in answering STPM science and mathematics subjects. From 2008
onwards STPM candidates are allowed to answer these subjects in English
only.
Personally, I choose to answer these subjects in English since I have
more than a year to prepare for the real examinations. Moreover, every
STPM science and mathematics reference book available is written in
English. I think we can still catch up with a lot of hard work, quoting
Stephen King, 'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the
talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work'.
BooN...@gmail.com
much problem ... my school, the teacher using English the best they can
... or should i say ... Using FULLY English to teach the science and
maths subjects ... they are good i can't deny that ... but honestly i
cannot assume that the whole Malaysia would be using the same standard
for now ... i heard some are still using Malay when it comes to
teaching ...
Then ... which language should you pick ? Haha ... ... I believe this
would not be a hard choice ... think about the acceptance of the
languages INTERNATIONALLY and automatically you would know which to
choose ... Maybe some of you might say ... in IPTA soon the lecturers
would still be using Malay .. ya .. but the materials would be in
English (unless it's something ancient that the lecturer give you
exactly the same he/she gave to your father mother 10-20 years ago)
afterall .. think about employment ... What do you think a employer
prefer? Think again ... all the 18-year-olds.