King Siong Lee | National University of Malaysia (original) (raw)

Papers by King Siong Lee

GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 2004

The Malaysian University English Test (MUET), introduced in 1999, is a potentially high-stakes te... more The Malaysian University English Test (MUET), introduced in 1999, is a potentially high-stakes test because of the fact that it is a mandatory requirement for admission into public universities. It was introduced with the aim of bringing about a higher level of English proficiency, especially crucial for those entering university. The paper focuses on the impact of the Reading component on literacy, and examines four factors that are perceived to affect the impact of the MUET, namely: 1) the perceived status of the MUET, 2) the sociopolitical situation, 3) the teacher/teaching, and 4) the test construct. It concludes that the reading construct in the MUET Reading component is inadequately operationalized and suggests that the construct be reviewed in the light of long-term literacy goals.

ukm.my

This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a doctoral study in progress, which is situated... more This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a doctoral study in progress, which is situated in the context of quality in higher education, and is premised on the view that the student learning experience is ultimately the most meaningful and lasting measure of academic quality. The literature on assessment in higher education clearly places assessment at the heart of student learning and it is claimed that "the truth about an educational system" may be discovered by examining its assessment procedures (Rowntree, 1987, p.1). Using a qualitative case study approach, the study aims to reveal the values inherent in assessment, to show how these are conveyed through institutional discourses and through practices of lecturers, and how students' learning behaviour may be affected by their perspectives of assessment. Data gathering activities for the entire doctoral research include focus group discussions and individual interviews with finalyear undergraduates, interviews with their lecturers, observations of lectures and classroom assessments, examination of documents related to the course descriptions and assessment, as well as a study of the administrative and procedural aspects of assessment which are part of the assessment praxis. The emerging themes reported here, based solely on the analysis of two of the focus group discussions, indicate how assessment praxis in higher education seems to be a reproduction of dominant power structures that have inculcated patterns of student passivity in learning. This has serious implications for the 1 This is a revised version of a work-in-progress paper presented by Lee King Siong at the 30 th Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC) 2008, Hangzhou, China. Attendance at the conference was funded by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

pkukmweb.ukm.my

Despite the increasing prominence of English as a world lingua franca, there is little research o... more Despite the increasing prominence of English as a world lingua franca, there is little research on how the use of English affects the identities of Malaysian speakers. Asmah Haji Omar observed that interest in language and identity seemed to be confined to studies on national identity. A doctoral study by Lee Su Kim of the identity of Malaysian speakers of English found that there was resentment in certain localized contexts amongst the Malay respondents in the study towards the use of English. Expressions of resentment and ambivalence towards the use of the English language were also prevalent amongst the non-Malay respondents within certain contexts. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative research study which sets out to investigate the impact of English on the identities of young Malaysian undergraduates in selected private and public universities in Malaysia. Using qualitative methods, this research study essentially takes off from Lee Su Kim's doctoral research study, and aims to explore on a larger scale the role of English in the identity construction of a younger Malaysian cohort from both public and private universities. The findings presented here are from a few selected case studies that provide the qualitative data. The discussion will focus on how different multilingual Malaysian undergraduates regard English vis a vis the other languages in their repertoire and how it has affected their identity constructions and everyday negotiations. Three dominant themes arising from the findings will be discussed, 1) Multilingualism with English emerging as the dominant language, 2) English viewed as a pragmatic language and a language of empowerment, and 3) Varying degrees of 'othering'.

The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the his... more The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the history of Malaysia, and because of its pervasive influence through its role in the education system, it is an important part of the identity construction of those who have gone through the system. This paper reports on the qualitative findings of a study investigating the impact of English on the sociocultural identity construction of young adult Malaysians. The data were obtained from interviews conducted with 20 Malaysian undergraduates from both public and private universities. English is one of the languages in their linguistic repertoire. The demographic composition of the respondents reflects in general the cultural and linguistic diversity of Malaysia. The paper will focus on how the use of English among these university students is perceived as an identity marker that enhances the perception of their personal and social status, and how its use may sometimes be used as the basis by members of the same ethnic community for "othering" them. The paper concludes by suggesting that since competence in the use of English is basically perceived as a form of cultural capital, a move towards enhancing English use among students within a policy that strongly advocates multilingualism is the way towards developing a more inclusive moderate sociocultural identity.

The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the his... more The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the history of Malaysia, and because of its pervasive influence through its role in the education system, it is an important part of the identity construction of those who have gone through the system. This paper reports on the qualitative findings of a study investigating the impact of English on the sociocultural identity construction of young adult Malaysians. The data were obtained from interviews conducted with 20 Malaysian undergraduates from both public and private universities. English is one of the languages in their linguistic repertoire. The demographic composition of the respondents reflects in general the cultural and linguistic diversity of Malaysia. The paper will focus on how the use of English among these university students is perceived as an identity marker that enhances the perception of their personal and social status, and how its use may sometimes be used as the basis by members of the same ethnic community for “othering” them. The paper concludes by suggesting that since competence in the use of English is basically perceived as a form of cultural capital, a move towards enhancing English use among students within a policy that strongly advocates multilingualism is the way towards developing a more inclusive moderate sociocultural identity.

The English Teacher (MELTA), Mar 1, 2001

Investigating The Undergraduate Experience Of Assessment In Higher Education Abstract This pa... more Investigating The Undergraduate Experience Of Assessment In Higher
Education
Abstract
This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a doctoral study in progress, which is
situated in the context of quality in higher education, and is premised on the view that the
student learning experience is ultimately the most meaningful and lasting measure of
academic quality. The literature on assessment in higher education clearly places
assessment at the heart of student learning and it is claimed that “the truth about an
educational system” may be discovered by examining its assessment procedures
(Rowntree, 1987, p.1). Using a qualitative case study approach, the study aims to reveal
the values inherent in assessment, to show how these are conveyed through institutional
discourses and through practices of lecturers, and how students’ learning behaviour may
be affected by their perspectives of assessment. Data gathering activities for the entire
doctoral research include focus group discussions and individual interviews with finalyear
undergraduates, interviews with their lecturers, observations of lectures and
classroom assessments, examination of documents related to the course descriptions and
assessment, as well as a study of the administrative and procedural aspects of assessment
which are part of the assessment praxis. The emerging themes reported here, based solely
on the analysis of two of the focus group discussions, indicate how assessment praxis in
higher education seems to be a reproduction of dominant power structures that have
inculcated patterns of student passivity in learning. This has serious implications for the
1 This is a revised version of a work-in-progress paper presented by Lee King Siong at the 30th
Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC) 2008, Hangzhou, China. Attendance at the
conference was funded by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
GEMA Online™ Journal of language Studies 18
Volume 10(1) 2010
ISSN: 1675-8021
university’s agenda for transformation, and broadly, the shaping of participatory
democracy in citizenry.
Keywords: assessment, higher education, undergraduate experience, student perspectives
of assessment, influence of assessment on learning.

GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 2004

ukm.my

pkukmweb.ukm.my

The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the his... more The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the history of Malaysia, and because of its pervasive influence through its role in the education system, it is an important part of the identity construction of those who have gone through the system. This paper reports on the qualitative findings of a study investigating the impact of English on the sociocultural identity construction of young adult Malaysians. The data were obtained from interviews conducted with 20 Malaysian undergraduates from both public and private universities. English is one of the languages in their linguistic repertoire. The demographic composition of the respondents reflects in general the cultural and linguistic diversity of Malaysia. The paper will focus on how the use of English among these university students is perceived as an identity marker that enhances the perception of their personal and social status, and how its use may sometimes be used as the basis by members of the same ethnic community for “othering” them. The paper concludes by suggesting that since competence in the use of English is basically perceived as a form of cultural capital, a move towards enhancing English use among students within a policy that strongly advocates multilingualism is the way towards developing a more inclusive moderate sociocultural identity.

The English Teacher (MELTA), Mar 1, 2001