Raising Students to have a Strong Foundation in Three Languages

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Many Malaysian students have to learn several languages at school. How will they be able to master a few languages at the same time?

Taylor’s International School (TIS) prepares students for the future with a strong foundation in three languages, English, Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia. At TIS, these three languages are an integral part of the curriculum. We strongly believe language learning is very important as it brings huge benefits to both our students’ personal lives and career prospects. Learning different languages helps students appreciate different cultures. With better cultural and language awareness, students will have a sense of what it is to be a global citizen in an interconnected world.

TIS students have been consistently achieving IGCSE examination results of 90% to 100% for languages over the past six years.

How do our students master the three languages?

Below are the testimonials of top students in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin and their thoughts on learning these three languages at TIS.

Gan Eronn, a Year 11 student from TIS Kuala Lumpur and a top scorer for the IGCSE Malay language paper, shares how the unique teaching style at TIS has helped him to develop a deep interest and passion for the language.

“My teachers always emphasize the importance of understanding and applying critical thinking to lessons rather than just getting the answers. Not only will we be more efficient in our daily life by being able to communicate with other Malaysians, but knowing the National language well helps to build a deeper connection and love for our country,” says Eronn when it comes to the need of learning Bahasa Malaysia.

English is used as the main medium of instruction at TIS while Mandarin is given equally important focus. According to Year 11 student Shuen Tan Jia Xuan from TIS Puchong,

“Studying at TIS after transferring from a Chinese school has given me more opportunities to communicate in English and strengthen my written and listening skills. With my familiarity with both English and Mandarin, I am confident that I’ll have better job prospects in the future,” says Shuen Tan. 

Year 11 student Ainul Sabariah from TIS Puchong who scored a superb grade A* in Mandarin for IGCSE, believes that learning more than one language is a great asset.

“Learning a new language exposes and encourages an appreciation for the traditions and history of the people associated with that language and allows me to connect with a wide range of cultures,” she said.

Why does TIS focus on these three languages?

- Enhances employability and career options. Only speaking in one’s native language is no longer enough if you want to pursue a career with a global company. Speaking more than one language enhances employability and career options, as many companies specifically request for multilingual jobseekers.

- Improves executive functioning skills. It has been proven that learning two or more languages from an early age increases executive functioning skills. Students will be able to think more creatively, have better time management, improved memory as well as better organization overall when they learn to juggle the learning of several languages at the same time.

- Helps in the understanding and appreciation of other cultures. One important advantage of multilingualism is the ability to accept, understand and adapt to different cultures, countries and situations. Students will learn to appreciate other traditions and cultures better when they learn the language of different races.

- Better business opportunities in the future. At TIS, students’ study two of the most widely spoken languages in the World; English and Mandarin. China is the world’s second-largest economy and Malaysia’s largest trading partner. Hence, learning Mandarin gives our students enormous advantages for career and business opportunities in later life.

- Useful to learn our National language for better communication and for those who wish to practice law or medicine locally. While it is important to focus on English and Mandarin due to global trends and demand, one should not forget about Bahasa Malaysia. As the official language in Malaysia, it is widely used in all official communication and an important language to learn, especially for those who wish to practice law and medicine locally. It is also useful to be able to communicate with everyone in fluent Bahasa Malaysia as you go about your daily life. 

In raising our students for the world of tomorrow, TIS prepares its students to be outstanding learners for the recruitment market. At TIS, we build a strong foundation in three languages and our students have made us proud by consistently achieving outstanding IGCSE examination results of 90% to 100% for languages over the past five years.

If you are thinking of choosing an international school with an excellent language programme, call 03-9200 9898 (Kuala Lumpur campus) or 03-5879 5000 (Puchong campus) for more information and to have all your queries answered.

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Taylor’s International School prepares students with a strong foundation in three languages to ensure they have a lingual dexterity in the ever-competitive global stage.
Disclaimer: All photos were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic.