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Old 08-31-2010, 03:23 AM
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shima138 shima138 is offline
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Wink Re: Edu: Any TESLians out there? :D

TESLian, reporting!

About me:
6th (final) year student - (IPGM Kampus Perempuan Melayu Melaka (wah nama penuh) - IIUM)
Hopefully will get my posting next year around July/August.


I didn't realise you were going to start a new thread on here so I kept on ranting on the other 'unrelated' thread LOL

First of all, I think your English is better than some of us TESLians. Honestly you write so well, even better than some of my friends. I'm not saying I'm good, but I do notice mistakes, my own included.
"Can write in English well" CHECK!

(Had to stop there, Odie kacau adik Becky tido sampai jerit2 si Becky tu..adoi dah bangun pulak...macam baby)

Going back to the topic at hand, I will try to answer your questions the best that I can.


Quote:
1) How many years ya TESL ni? Is it too late for me?

2) Is it possible for me to change from IT diploma tu Edu degree? (assuming I wanna continue my studies in IPTA)

3) Was it hard? I mean, do we have to be real fluent in English? Im more like, I can write, read, understand but not talk. Im a bit scared since my vocabs are limited, my english are no better than secondary school's level.

1) I'm doing a twinning degree program (Inst. Perguruan - UIA) and the length is 6 years, which seems to end in no time at all *sniffs* But the program was created when IPG was still called Maktab so they couldn't um award degrees to their graduates, hence the twinning program (we'll be graduating as UIA students).

Currently they've come up with another TESL program (though the name is different..can't remember what it's called) which only takes 5 1/2 years. You'll be studying full-time in the IPG you're sent to. From what I've heard they're using the same modul we're using, just that they won't be going to the attached university seeing that IPGs now can award degrees. For me it's a loss to the students. Being in the university is very rewarding and very different from IPG life I wouldn't want it any other way.

I'm not sure if it's too late hmmm..I applied for the program directly after my SPM, didn't even go to the Matric. Center. I have 2 classmates who are a year older, so I guess there's a chance for you still. Try getting more information on the programs and the requirements. All the best Sha

But that's if you decide to become a civil servant 'lah'. I hope others can shed some light on TESL courses offered in IPTA. Ooh there's also the JPA and MARA scholarship for TESL programs. I applied for MARA and let's just say I didn't make the cut I couldn't speak English well then.

2) Now I'm not too familiar with other courses and how they deal with things in universities so I'll be a bad advisor.
But I do think IT programs and TESL correlate and complement each other. I had a lecturer in UIA who taught us umm what was that subject called...CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) in the English classroom. She's a phD holder in that area and was very good at it. So I think having a diploma (is it?) in IT would look good on your resume. They are trying to implement as much as ICT and IT in the school.

3) When I went to the MARA interview 5 years ago I couldn't even utter a complete string of English sentence. Honestly I couldn't. I could write well but even thinking of putting up my hand to give a view in class made my insides churn and I would tremble all over (LOL). Thus it wasn't a surprise that I wasn't accepted.
I have since realised that being good in only one part of the language doesn't make you good enough, especially when you're competing against people who speak and write better than you. You're applying to be a language teacher, you HAVE to be good at that language.
I did pretty well during the B.Ed TESL interview, mainly because the environment was less intimidating. I couldn't see other candidates' serious faces through the clear glass wall like when I was being interviewed for the MARA scholarship

So bottom line, I would say that:

*being able to speak, write, understand English well would really help your chances and also get you through the program in a breeze.

*Read more English books, any genre that you like. It's important to read as it does improve your language.
And to help with speaking and pronouncing English words, read aloud to yourself. I still do that myself You will find that it becomes more natural and easier for you to say English words.

*Speak and ask questions to yourself in English and try to think in English. I know it's not an easy thing to do when that little person in your head has always been speaking in Malay (or Japanese :P). But eventually it will come naturally to you.

I couldn't speak in English well until I was a few years into the program. Presenting in front of the class (oh yes we have lots of presentations) has helped build my confidence and eventually I got better at speaking I still get the jitters now and then when I put my hand up in class to speak, but it's mainly from the excitement of voicing out my opinion

************************************************** ******

So my dear Sha, I hope that is not too much to read :P I tend to rant on and one when writing Hope that helps, even just a little.

(Just realised that my bed has been taken over by Odie and Putih...)

and last but not least,

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI MERDEKA!

Last edited by shima138; 08-31-2010 at 03:51 AM.
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