B. Ed Teachers

Canterbury Christ Church University-IPG Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa (CCCU-IPG KBA) twinning program students. 

    English language teachers come from all walks of life, in every kind of hair colours  but with one noble intention which is to inculcate the love for the language to all human beings. They are moulded with the skills needed as a teacher in a second language classroom in line with the Philosophy of Teacher Education (Falsafah Pendidikan Guru) and the National Philosophy of Education (Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan) which they should remember by heart right now. These teachers undergo trainings with the Institute  of Teacher Education (Institut Pendidikan Guru) for primary school education or in a local or international university for secondary school level.

Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa has a reputation of international and local twinning programs for TESL/TESOL/TEFL course with various universities around the globe such as:

-Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom,
-Macquarie University, Australia,
-Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and
-Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.

    I would like to share my seniors' experience abroad in this blog post because they are surely having a great time in a truly different learning environment and climate too. I have interviewed Teoh Lip Vi for his stories so let us take a read at his profile okay.

Lip Vi's Profile

Full name: Teoh Lip Vi
Nickname: Lip Vi
Birth date: 28th June
Origin: Ipoh
Educational background:
-SJK (C) Gunung Rapat
-SMK Gunung Rapat
-Inst. Pend. Guru Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa
-Canterbury Christ Church University.

Voluntary works in UK:
-A volunteer at Strode Park Foundation.
-Translate a legal document for HMP Prison Canterbury.
-A buddy to a British student under Buddy Scheme .
-Conducted and presented a research in 'Cutting Edges' conference, an annual Language Studies Conference organised by the university.

The Interview

1) How would you sum up your experiences abroad and getting your degree from an international university?

-My experiences of studying abroad are just indescribable. 'Amazing', 'wonderful', 'brilliant', 'fantastic', 'awesome' et cetera are just way too of an understatement to describe the experiences. It's just like having a dream that you won't want to wake up from. However, the reality will always strike!

2) Can you elaborate the differences of the school system in UK and Malaysia?

-There are a lot of differences between the two school systems and I would like to highlight the teaching strategies which I think could be applied in Malaysian classrooms. For instance, the UK teachers give feedback to the students using constructive and encouraging feedbacks so that the students will be motivated and looking forward to the next lesson, at the same time they know what their strength(s) and weakness(es) are.

Lip Vi with his students in UK.

For example, "You have done very well in describing the characters, it would be great/better if you use more (.bla.bla.bla.)". Besides that, the teachers always do WWW (What Went Well) and EBI (Even Better If) with the students as a reflection and evaluation of what they have done/learn in the lesson.

3) What about your involvement in voluntary works apart from attending classes? 

 

-During my stay in the UK, I have been involved in quite a lot of volunteering activities. I have become the leaders of some student-led projects, such as book sorts and book sales for The Windmill and the Wood and the Witch (WWW-Halloween celebration and Big Clean around that area). I managed to organise two Malaysian Day events at Strode Park Foundation which is a home for the disabled and I have also involved in other volunteering activities such as fund raising for Shelter organisation and Children in Need, a talk for children in a local school and so forth. 

4) What are the sweetest achievements of yours after getting involved in so many voluntary works?

 

-One of the highlights was that I attended an interview session on BBC Radio Kent regarding my volunteering experiences. In my 3rd Year, the humble me was awarded a certificate of 'Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Volunteering' in recognition of the 450 hours of voluntary work from the university and also one of the four 'Community Awards'.  I have always encouraged myself and others to step out of our comfort zones, of course we don't have to make a big leap, even a baby step is good enough as it will lead to the giant leap somewhere one day in time to come.   

5) As a teacher, you are aware that some people have been complaining about the incompetent performance of English language teachers in Malaysia so what is your comment regarding the issue?

-I would define 'the incompetent performance of English language teachers' as the teachers who lack the ability to perform subject/content knowledge and pedagogic knowledge. Of course there are many other issues concerned but those are the two main areas, which I think are the most fundamental knowledge that a teacher should at least possess and know well.

6) What is your expectation for your teaching practicum in a few months and thus becoming an English language teacher in Malaysia?

-I guess, coming back from the UK, the lecturers and the cooperating teacher(s) surely expect much more from us rather than other teacher trainees. Well, all that I could say is that I will try my best to integrate all the good and positive knowledge I have obtained in the UK and IPG KBA, for example content knowledge and pedagogic knowledge etc. Hopefully it will lead to a more effective teaching and learning process. Then again, if it doesn't work, perhaps reflection can be done and see how I could improve the lesson(s).

7) What is your advise to other teacher trainees in order to elevate their enthusiasm in teaching profession?

-Advice? Hmmm... I guess I'm not really in the position to do that, but I think being teachers to be, we should stop thinking the bad things that are going to happen in schools. Perhaps we should start thinking towards how we could make changes in our future students' lives. Take a quote from my role model Carrie Underwood in Soul Surfer, 'terrible things happen to us sometimes, but we just gotta believe that something good is gonna come out of it'. We might face challenges or problems in schools but why not learn to take them positively as a way to develop ourselves more professionally and holistically, rather than making our lives more miserable. Life ahead of us may not be easy but it will surely teach and make us stronger and wiser.

THE END

 

   Wow, what an inspiring way to end our interview session! Lip Vi and other previous cohorts in IPG KBA are very lucky to have the opportunities to study abroad and bring back the knowledge to serve as an English language teacher soon. I really hope that this interview can help to clear the misconception about teacher trainees who are sponsored to study overseas because they are not wasting the government's money. Most of them cannot wait to start teaching because it is in their blood, and they are well-trained too so let us all welcome these teachers because who knows that they might be teaching your sons and daughters in future right? Take care and God bless.

*Photos are courtesy of Teoh Lip Vi, copyright is protected!