The English Language Literacies Of Young Adults Of A National Youth Institute In Malaysia

Kertas in melaporkan dapatan kajian yang telah dijalankan ke atas belia Malaysia di satuInstitut Latihan Vokasional. Maupun matlamat keseluruhan kajian adalah untuk mengkajitahap kompetensi bahasa (BahasaMelayu dan Bahasa Inggeris) dan kemahiran literasibelia berbandingkan dengan kemahiran literasi yang diperlukan bagi menangani cabaranabad ke 21, skop artikel ini hanya tertumpu kepada pengajaran Bahasa Inggeris di institutvokasional berkenaant sebagai satu kes kajian. Ianya mengkaji sejauh mana kurikulumBahasa Inggeris menyediakan belia vokasional supaya berdaya saing dalam penggunaanBahasa Inggeris di era global ini, dan menunjukkan perbezaan antara tahap dan jeniskemahiran literasi bahasa yang dilatih dengan keperluan kemahiran yang diperlukanuntuk kebolehpasaran. Peserta kajian merupakan belia yang telah gagal menyambungpendidikan di institusi pengajian tinggi awam, sebaliknya telah memasuki programlatihan kemahiran anjuran pihak kerajaan di Institut Latihan Vokasional Malaysia. Datakajian telah dikumpul melalui soal selidik, temuduga dan analisis dokumen atau isian.Dapatan kajian keseluruhannya pula menunjukkan bahawa golongan belia yang dikajitidak memperolehi kemahiran berbahasa Inggeris dan kemahiran berkomunikasi bagimengakses dan menganalisa makluman ditahap yang diperlukan dalam era ICT danglobal kerana mereka kurang menguasai kompetensi linguistik dan komunikasi. Tambahlagi, dapatan menunjukkan mereka tidak menguasai kemahiran literasi kritikal yangdiperlukan bagi mengakses makluman secara bermakna dan berkesan yang bolehmenjadikan mereka lebih berdaya saing. Kebanyakan daripada belia kajian menyatakanbahawa mereka berasa terasing dalam aspek intellektual, sosial dan budaya kerana tidakdapat mengamati ilmu serta kemahiran yang diperlukan, termasuk kompetensi linguistik,penggunaan bahasa, isian yang relevan dan jenis kemahiran literasi kritikal. Berasaskandapatan ini, suatu rombakan semula kepada silibus Bahasa Inggeris dalam programvokasional ini disarankan dengan memperkenalkan kurikulum literasi Bahasa Inggerisyang berkerangkakan pendekatan pedagogi refleksif dan berorientasikan pembelajaranpluriliterasi.This paper reports the research findings carried out on Malaysian youths at a VocationalTraining Institute. While the overarching aim of the study was to investigate the youths’level of English language competencies and their literacy skills in relation to the requiredcompetencies for the 21st century, the scope of this paper highlights the case study of theteaching of English language skills at the vocational institute. It examines the extent towhich the English language curriculum prepares the youths for English language use inthe competitive and globalized era, and highlights the disparity between the level andtype of language skills that they are taught with those that they need and should exit withfor employability. The participants in this study were school leavers who had not beenable to gain entry into public institutions of higher learning but had obtained entry to thegoverment run skills training programme instead at the Institute of Skills and VocationalTraining Malaysia. Data was collated through a questionnaire, interviews and documentor content analysis. The findings indicated that the youth have not acquired or masteredthe necessary English language and communicational skills, required for accessing andanalysing information in the ICT and global era as they mainly lacked in linguistic andcommunicative competencies. Additionally, the findings indicated that they do not possesthe needed critical literacy to access information in a meaningful and effective way forbetter paying jobs. Majority of the youth pointed out that they feel intellectually, sociallyand culturally marginalized as the content and skills taught to them lack in terms oflinguistic needs, language use needs, content relevance and types of critical literacy skills.Based on these findings the paper advocates for a revision of the current Englishlanguage for vocational purposes syllabus and instead introduces an English literacycurriculum that is based on the reflexive pedagogic approach framed from within apluriliteracy view of learning.