BY WONG KAY CHERN
CENTRE for the Advancement of Language Competence (CALC) Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) offers LAX English learning course for students to learn the language in a flexible, fun and non-stressful situations.
LAX English is an English language co-curricular-type activities that encourages students to practice English outside the classroom in a meaningful and authentic environment.
English Language Instructor from CALC, Siti Nadhirah Abd Rahman said students should practice their English more and use their class time appropriately to speak and write in English.
“Sometimes people don’t get the opportunity to use the language outside the class, and they’re too shy to use it with strangers,” she said.
She also pointed out that some students think that learning English has little benefits for them.
“They may think that their English is already good but may face problems when looking for a job after they had graduated due to their deficiency in English competence,” she said.
Ong Wei Jun, a Bachelor of Communication student said one of the major factors that led to the phenomena was that students prefer to stay in their
comfort zone.
“They get used to speak in their mother tongue and afraid to speak in other language. They are not confident with their English, thus they choose not to speak in English to avoid being laughed at by others,” she said.
English is one of the most important languages in the world since it is spoken and written by many. Approximately 375 million people speak English while the language is either the official or primary languages in more than 50 countries. – UPM
