ENHANCING NON-ENGLISH TEACHERS' INVOLVEMENT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME

Some schools witness poor participation of non-English teachers (NETs) in the implementation of Highly Immersive Programme (HIP). Most of the activities are mainly conducted by the English language teachers in the school. It has been briefed and all teachers know HIP is a programme initiated by the Ministry of Education which must be led by the Headmaster or Principal in the school. HIP activities are not only supposed to be handled by the English teachers. Therefore, how can involvement of NETs be enhanced?

Obviously, there are various ways. One particular project which I would like to highlight in this write-up is through HIP: ReST which stands for Highly Immersive Programme: Read, Share & Tell. HIP ReST is a simple innovation which I developed for relief teachers in my school. As we know, anybody can be given relief classes. What can NETs do with materials in English during relief?

The implementation of HIP: ReST among the NETs is based on these principles:

The NETs do not have to worry if their English is not good.
The NETs are not required to teach English.
The materials are learner-friendly. Malay words are provided in the text to explain most of the difficult words. Depending on learners' level of proficiency, providing meanings in Malay is optional. Surely, the translation is not needed if most of the learners are highly proficient users of English. However, in my case, most of my learners are weak, therefore, the translated words will be very helpful to them as well as the NETs.
The NETs are only supposed to ensure the activities are done based on the guidelines given. The guidelines are given in Malay and it is fine for NETs to give instructions to learners in Malay.
The activities are designed in such a way that weak learners will be assisted by other capable learners.
The activities place much emphasis on learners’ efforts to collaborate with each other.

So, what actually the NETs have to do during relief classes? Well, first of all, the NETs have to get the materials which are prepared by the English Language Panel. Then, they enter the relief classes and do the following:

Notes:

The guidelines are prepared in Malay as they are for the NETs (some of them are not well versed in English)
MMI 3 refers to 'relief class'.
ReST: READ - Steps 4.1 and 4.2 above
ReST: SHARE - Steps 4.5 and 4.6 above
ReST: TELL - Steps 4.7 and 4.9 above

Carrying out HIP: ReST is fundamentally about managing a few reading and speaking activities among the learners in class. Apart from promoting reading, HIP: ReST also offers these benefits:

Vocabulary enrichment
Development of 4Cs
Collaboration: Learners have to help each other to understand the short story.
Communication: Learners have to present orally anything they can remember about the short story they have read such as about the events/incidents or characters. Later, they also have to share their opinions or personal responses orally.
Creativity: Learners are encouraged to share their personal feedbacks, views or comments in relation to the short story. They are also required to relate the story to the reality of life.
Critical thinking: Learners are encouraged to think of other moral lessons learnt from each short story. In addition, they are required to relate the story to the reality of life too.
Promoting values: The class can be ended by highlighting moral values gained from the short story.

CLOSURE

Perhaps, it takes some efforts for English Language Panel to make preparations for HIP: ReST. First of all, they need to select short stories and then edit them accordingly; meanings of some difficult words must be given for weak learners to understand the storyline. After all the short stories are printed, the panel has to prepare at least 10 files in which there is a short story in each file. Each file, depending on the class enrolment, should have 20-30 copies of the same short story. Those 10 files will be used by the relief teachers. If the English teachers have more time, they can even have more short stories which means more printing must be done and additional files must be prepared. Please refer to some sample short stories in the Appendix below.

HIP: ReST has a number of strengths. Besides supporting NILAM, it also attempts to develop 4Cs and promote moral values. Moreover, it does not take much effort by the NETs to implement it during relief classes. As mentioned above, it is merely about managing activities. It is also apparent that the implementation of HIP: ReST portrays great teamwork and increased collaborative efforts among all the teachers in the school in ensuring HIP becomes a successful agenda. That really matters!

Appendix

SHORT STORY 1:

Source: http://www.indianchild.com/wait_for_the_brick.htm

A young and successful [Berjaya] executive was driving [memandu] and he was going a bit too fast [laju] in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids running on the street [jalan] between parked cars and slowed down when he thought [ingat] he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared [muncul]. Instead [ sebaliknya], a brick [bata] smashed [memecahkan] into his Jaguar’s side door! He slammed on the brakes [menekan brek] and reversed [undur] to the spot [tempat] from where the brick had been thrown [dibaling]. He jumped out of the car, grabbed [menarik] a kid and pushed [menolak] him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? What did you do?" Building up a head of steam [dalam kemarahan] he went on. That's a new car and that brick you threw [baling] is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" "Please, mister [encik], please. I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do," pleaded [merayu] the youngster [budak]. "I threw the brick because no one else [tiada orang lain] would stop..." Tears [air mata] were dripping down [meleleh] the boy's chin [dagu] as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He fell out [jatuh] of his wheelchair [kerusi roda] and I can't lift [angkat] him up." Sobbing [teresak-esak], the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back [naik semula] into his wheelchair? He's hurt [cedera] and he's too heavy [berat] for me." Moved beyond words [kelu], the driver felt [rasa] very guilty [bersalah]. He lifted [angkat] the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief [sapu tangan] and wiped [mengesat] the cuts [luka], checking to see that everything was going to be all right. "Thank you and may God bless [rahmati] you," the grateful [bersyukur] child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push [tolak] his brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to his jaguar....a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent [kemek] to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention [perhatian].

MORAL OF THE STORY:

1. We must be aware [tahu/sedar] of what is happening around [di sekeliling] us.

2. Things always happen [terjadi] for a reason [sebab].

SHORT STORY 2

Source: http://www.inspirationallane.com/SadLoveStories3.htm

A boy walked into a CD store [kedai] and saw a girl behind the counter. She smiled and he thought [fikirkan] it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before. He said "Uh... Yeah... Umm... I would like to buy a CD." He picked [pilih] one out and gave her money for it.

"Would you like me to wrap [bungkus] it for you?" she asked, displaying [menunjukkan] her cute smile again. He nodded [angguk] and she went to the back. She came back with the wrapped CD and gave it to him. He took it and walked out of the store. He went home and from then on, he went to that store every day and bought a CD and she will have it wrapped for him. He took the CDs home and put them in his closet [almari]. He was still too shy [malu] to ask her out and he really wanted to but he couldn't. His mother found out [dapat tahu] about this and told [beritahu] him to just ask her out.

So the next day [hari berikutnya], he braved [beranikan] himself and went to the store. He bought a CD like he did every day and once again she went to the back of the store and came back with it wrapped. He took it and when she wasn't looking, he left [tinggalkan] his phone number on the desk and ran out.

RIING!!! The mother picked up [mengangkat] the phone and said, "Hello?" It was the girl!!! She asked for the boy and the mother started to cry and said, "Don't you know? He passed away [meninggal dunia] yesterday..." The line was quiet except for the cries of the boy's mother.

Later in the day, the mother went into the boy's room because she wanted to remember him. She thought she would start by looking at his clothes. Hence, she opened the closet [almari]. She saw with piles and piles [timbunan] of wrapped CDs. She was surprised [terkejut] to find all those CDs and she picked [mengambil] one up and sat down on the bed. She started to open the wrapped CD.

Inside, there was a CD and as she took it out of the wrapper, out fell [terjatuh] a piece of paper. The mother picked it up and read it. It said, “Hi... I think you are really cute. Do you want to go out with me? Love, Jacelyn.”

The mother opened another CD. Again there was a piece of paper. It said, “Hi... I think you are really cute. Do you want to go out with me? Love, Jacelyn.”

MORAL OF THE STORY:

1. We need to be brave [berani] to achieve [capai] our aim [matlamat].

2. Sometimes, being (menjadi) too shy (pemalu) is not good for us.

SHORT STORY 3

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/gavon/the-tragic-inspiring-story-of-cancer-patients-in

Rodney Conradi and Lynse Rainford met [bertemu] in 2010 at the Ronald McDonald House in Seattle while they were both being treated [sedang dirawat] for cancer. Rodney, 19, had Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that causes [menyebabkan] bone [tulang] tumors [ketumbuhan]. Lynse, 20, had leukemia, the cancer of blood cells. "He acted, like, goofy [bodoh] all the time," said Lynsie of Rodney. "He didn't really care [peduli] what other people thought [fikirkan] at all. That's what I liked the most. He just didn't care what other people thought."

Rodney and Lynse began dating in 2011. Lynse had finished her chemo and was in remission [pengurangan]. Rodney appeared [kelihatan] to get better. "We talked about moving in together [tinggal bersama] and just having a normal life finally," said Lynsie. "Throughout most of our whole relationship [hubungan] one of us has been sick [sakit] or we have both been sick. We never [tidak pernah] really had a normal relationship."

Rodney's cancer returned in late 2011, more severe [serius] than ever. He was admitted [dimasukkan] to the Yakima Valley Hospital for treatment [rawatan]. It was clear [jelas] that Rodney didn't have much time. On Valentine's Day of 2012, despite being in agony [kesakitan] and with the bones in his legs devoured [dimakan] by cancer, Rodney got down on one knee [lutut] and proposed [melamar]. "He was really, really sick, and he was puking [muntah]," said Lynsie. "That's what made it special; even though he was really sick, he still wanted to do it right."

Rodney's condition continued to deteriorate [menjadi teruk]. Two days after Rodney proposed to Lynsie, on February 16th, 2012, they were married at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. Rodney, barely [hampir tidak] able to stand, walked down the aisle [laluan] with his I.V. bag. "He had a goal: 'I'm going to marry that girl before I die," said Rodney's father, Kirk Conradi. "She's the love of my life. She's my soul mate.'” [rakan sehidup semati]

Later that night, Rodney's pain [kesakitan] became unbearable [keterlaluan]. Doctors sedated [tenangkan] him to help him cope [tangani]. Although he was mostly unconscious [tidak sedarkan diri] in the days and weeks that followed, he had moments which he would recall his wedding [pernikahan]. "He kept saying, 'That's the best day of my life,'" said Kirk Conradi.

On March 11th, 2012, Rodney Conradi died. He was 21-years-old. He was surrounded [dikelilingi] by his family and his wife whom he had married less than [kurang dari] a month before, Lynsie. "It was what they wanted and nothing was going to stop them, no matter [walaupun] how painful [sakit] it was," said Emily Conradi, Rodney's sister. "The power of love was enough [cukup] to get through [diteruskan]."

"It was the best wedding I could ask for," Lynsie said. "Magical, kind of."

MORAL OF THE STORY:

1. Do not underestimate [memperkecilkan] the power [kuasa] of love.

2. We can achieve [capai] our dream [impian] with strong determination [keazaman].