Language Issues in Universiti Brunei Language Issues in Universiti Brunei DarussalamDarussalam

Dr Gary M JonesDr Gary M JonesFaculty of Arts & Social SciencesFaculty of Arts & Social Sciences

Universiti Brunei DarussalamUniversiti Brunei Darussalam

(gmjones@fass.ubd.edu.bn)(gmjones@fass.ubd.edu.bn)

(Language Issues in English-Medium Universities Across Asia(Language Issues in English-Medium Universities Across Asia

Hong Kong University, 8Hong Kong University, 8thth-9-9thth June 2006) June 2006)

NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

5,770 sq km

365,251 people (July, 2004)

Malays 67%, Chinese 15%, Indigenous 6%, other 12%

Muslim 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%Indigenous beliefs 10%

Literacy 93.9%

GDP per capita purchasing power parity - $23,600 (2003 est.)

The official language of the State shall be the Malay language and shall be in such script as may by written law be provided.

1959 State Constitution

Article 82(1)

(i) To make Malay the main medium of instruction in National Primary and Secondary schools as soon as possible in line with the requirement of the constitution.

(ii) To raise the standard of the usage of English in the primary and secondary schools in the country

Report of the Brunei Education Commission, 1972:4

1.2 In accordance with the recommendations of the above mentioned Education Commission Report, this working paper attempts to establish firmly the dominance of the Malay Language, while at the same time emphasising the importance of English Language in order to achieve the educational objective by means of a bilingual system of education.

Brunei Government Publication, 1984:3

Compulsory & examinable subjects in Brunei primary and secondary schools

Lower Primary

English MalayEnglish Language Malay language

Mathematics

General Studies

Religious Knowledge

Physical Training

Arts & Handicraft

Civics

Upper Primary

English MalayEnglish Language Malay Language

Mathematics Religious Knowledge

Science History

Geography Physical Training

Arts & Handicraft

Civics

Lower Secondary

English MalayEnglish Language Malay Language

Mathematics Religious Knowledge

Science History

Geography

Upper Secondary

English MalayEnglish Language Malay Language

Mathematics

Science/Art/Technical

No. of students in schools:Primary School Secondary School

Male & Female Male Female Male & Female Pre-School 3927 Form 1 3278 3023 6301Primary 1 4374 Form 2 3378 2963 6341Primary 2 4405 Form 3 3554 3006 6560Primary 3 4518 Form 4 2426 2548 4974Primary 4 4834 Form 5 3101 3363 6464Primary 5 4898 Form 6 251 198 449Primary 6 5222 Pre-U1 802 1238 2040

Pre-U2 660 1106 1366

Total 32,178 Total 17,690 17,654 35,344

No. of teachers in schools:

Primary School Secondary SchoolMale & Female Male Female Male & Female

English-medium 1381 Locals 885 1697 2582

Malay-medium 1024 Contract 209 174 383

Total 2405 Total 1094 1871 2965

Universiti Brunei Darussalam

No. of faculties at UBD – 7– Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS)– Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies

(FBEPS)– Faculty of Science (FOS)– Institute of Medicine (IM)– Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Institute of Islamic

Studies (SHOASIS)– Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education

(SHBIE)

– Academy of Brunei Studies

No. of students at UBD: 3611 Male

Female

• Year 1 427 904

• Year 2 248 649

• Year 3 187 503

• Year 4 254 439

• Total 1116 2495

Number of International Students at UBD: 151 (4.18%)

• PhD Applied Linguistics – 1• MA Applied Linguistics – 2• MA Economics – 3• BA Economics – 3• BA programme – 11• BA Accounting – 5• Diploma in Primary Education – 4• PhD Computer Science – 1• BBA – 5• BSc/BA Education – 23• BSc Computer Science – 2• MBBS – 3• BSc Biological Science – 3• BSc Biotechnology – 3• Sarjana Muda Sastera Education – 8• PhD Petroleum Geoscience – 7• MSc Petroleum Geoscience – 10• MBA – 2

• Med Educational Mgmt – 3• MPP – 2• BA PP – 2• MSc Primary Healthcare – 2• PhD Biology – 1• PhD Malay Literature – 1• PhD Maths – 1• BSc Maths – 3• BEng Electronic and Electrical Eng – 1• PGCE – 1• BA Syariah – 16• BA Usuluddin – 6• BA Arabic Language – 2• MEd Mathematics Education – 1• Cert. in Lower Sec Edu – 1• BA Primary Education – 2• Non-Graduating – 8

Number of graduates from UBD (2005):625

Number of Students with 2:1/1st degree

220 (44 males; 176 females)

Number of Students with 3rd/pass degree

121 (63 males; 58 females)

Number of Academic Staff at UBD: Local & Contract: 379 (240 local; 139 contract)

Faculty of Education

88 local 27 contract

Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences

38 local 30 contract

Academy of Brunei Studies

10 local 0 contract

Institute of Medicine

4 local 3 contract

Faculty of Business, Economics & Public Policy Studies

36 local 22 contract

Faculty ofScience

26 local 27 contract

Institute of Islamic Studies

34 local 21 contract

Language Centre

4 local 9 contract

Language Centre

• Offers courses in a variety of different languages: Malay, Arabic, Mandarin, Thai, French, Japanese, Spanish

• No. of English Courses offered by Language Centre – 64

Language Centre

English language is a ‘university required’ course (and therefore has to be passed or a student cannot graduate) for all UBD students.

Most students receive 8 units of English over a two year period, which amounts to 112 hours of teaching.

– LE0104 English I– LE0106 English II– LE0111 English I– LE0204 English III– LE0206 English IV– LE0212 English IIB– LE0218 Developing Oral Communication Skills– LE0419 English for Technical Education Subjects– LE0444 English in Technical and Vocational

Teaching

– LE0602 English for Beginners I– LE0603 English for Beginners II– LE0604 English for Beginners III– LE0605 English for Beginners IV– LE0701 English for Beginners I– LE0702 English for Beginners II– LE0703 English for Beginners III– LE0704 English for Beginners IV– LE1203 Language Development I– LE1206 Language Development II

– LE1211 English I– LE1216 English II– LE1503 English for Science Education I– LE1506 English for Science Education II– LE1507 English for Arts Education I– LE1508 English for Arts Education II– LE1513 Communication Skills for Engineering I– LE1514 Communication Skills for Engineering II

– LE1515 English for Computer Science & Mathematics I

– LE1516 English for Computer Science & Mathematics I

– LE1520 English for Arts & Brunei Studies I– LE1521 English for Arts & Brunei Studies II– LE1524 English for Business I– LE1525 English for Business II– LE1528 English for Biomedical Science I– LE1529 English for Biomedical Science II– LE1531 English for Malay & Arabic Medium I– LE1532 English for Malay & Arabic Medium II

– LE1533/2533 English for Malay & Arabic Medium III– LE1534/2534 English for Malay & Arabic Medium IV– LE1535/2535 English for Malay & Arabic Medium V– LE1536/2536 English for Malay & Arabic Medium VI– LE2204 Language Development III– LE2206 Language Development IV– LE2209 English II– LE2503 English for Science Education III– LE2506 English for Science Education IV

– LE2511 Communication Skills for Engineering III– LE2512 Communication Skills for Engineering IV– LE2513 English for Computer Science & Mathematics III– LE2514 English for Computer Science & Mathematics IV– LE2519 English for Arts and Brunei Studies III– LE2520 English for Arts and Brunei Studies IV– LE2524 English for Business III– LE2525 English for Business IV– LE2537 English for Malay & Arabic Medium VII– LE2538 English for Malay & Arabic Medium VIII– LE4211 English III

– LE4403 English for Technical Education Subjects– LE4405 Developing Oral Communication Skills– LE5101 Report Writing for Petroleum Geoscience– LE5102 Preparation for Report Writing – Petroleum

Geoscience– LE5103 Academic Writing Skills– LE6601 Preparatory English for the Postgraduate

Diploma in Entrepreneurship– LE6602 English for Professional

Communication/Diplomacy

On the whole, I am pleased to note that English Language Results in PCE (PSR) and PMB have steadily improved over the last five years … However, these results are not reflected in GCE ‘O’ level results

Pehin Dato Hj Awg Abd Rahman, Minister of Education, 26th Aug 2005

Problems?

General Certificate of Education

Ordinary Level

(GCE ‘O’ Level)

• Designed in the United Kingdom for native English speaking children.

• An academic examination, meant for only the best pupils.• Weaker pupils studied for the Certificate in Secondary

Education (CSE).• Today, children in the UK take the General Certificate of

Secondary Education (GCSE).

lessons are boring no home support O level too difficult too shy lazy exam too tough

nobody reads lousy teachers no guidelines no interest no practice no motivation

Responses from pupils to questions about English language teaching in schools

Despite these criticisms, pupils and students responded that they usually prefer their English classes to other lessons because English is more vibrant and less boring!

The most frequent observation:

do not use the language

lack of practice

limited daily use

The second most frequent comment:

poor teaching

lousy teachers

lazy teachers

The third most frequent comment:

emphasis on Malay

not encouraged to use English

English users frowned upon

Various comments were made about the nature and validity of GCE ‘O’ level, including degrees of difficulty of the various papers, but the most pertinent comment is that the examination is meant for native speakers whereas for virtually all local pupils English is a second, third, fourth or even fifth language.

Inevitably teachers teach towards an examination. If the examination reflects the needs of the pupils then there shouldn’t be a problem. ‘O’ level does not reflect these needs.

At the moment we have a native speaker examination being taught to non-native speakers by teachers who, for the most part, have been trained as TESL teachers.

General Certificate of Education Ordinary level (GCE ‘O’ level)

A more conducive learning environment?

One of the causes for inattentiveness and a lack of motivation among pupils is the environment in which they learn.

For instance, very few classrooms have air-conditioning.

Outside the Classroom

MTV; VTV; Cartoon Network; HBO; Star Movies; ESPN; Star Sport; CNN; BBC…

Copy DVDs and music CDs

A recent development: English has become ‘cool’

At the same time, East Asian culture has become very popular among young Bruneians, particularly Korean films and music,

Problems at UBD?

• Lack of suitable staff to teach Language Centre English courses

• Lack of motivation among students to improve their own English (all English medium students already have a credit in GCE O level or IELTS 6.5)

To conclude on a positive note

Advantages at UBD

• A multinational, multilingual staff

• English language classes compulsory and fully supported

• As previously mentioned, all English medium students must have a credit in GCE O level or IELTS 6.5