Language Proficiency: Preliminary View on Malaysia Japanese Language Teachers

Abstract

This paper is an examination of the current situation of the importance of maintaining fluency in teaching foreign languages. It is a preliminary report on previous studies regarding teachers’ proficiency and its relevancy to the Malaysian Japanese language teachers. The focus on foreign language education in Malaysia has increased significantly following its inclusion in the National Higher Education Strategic Plan Beyond 2020 by the Ministry of Education in 2007. The policy was strengthened with the announcement of Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2015-2025 with ten new paradigms as a game changer in higher education scenario. This move has resulted in rapid growth, evident through the adoption of foreign language programs in major public universities, elite secondary boarding schools, and selected secondary schools. Despite this, the literature in foreign language education suggests that most educational institutions do not provide many opportunities for foreign language teachers to maintain or improve their language skill (Fraga‐Cañadas, 2010). Although teachers by profession, non-native speaker teachers of foreign language are still at risk of language attrition, especially if its use is only limited to simple structures and basic vocabulary (Wlosowiczs, 2017).  This is often the case in Malaysia where most institutions only offer elementary level courses for foreign languages, which includes the Japanese language. Most universities in Malaysia offer elementary level of Japanese language course except for few universities such as Universiti Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia (Yeoh & Singh, 2020). According to Richards et al. (2013), teachers need an advanced level of proficiency to provide students with meaningful and knowledgeable explanations on language and culture. Furthermore, their proficiency can have a direct impact on students' learning. This is because it influences the amount of language used in the classroom and shapes the teaching approach used, thus playing a pivotal role in the overall student learning experience (Valmori & De Costa, 2016). Research on the proficiency of non-native Japanese language teachers in Malaysia is scarce, and not much is known about how they maintain or develop their proficiency.