‘Speak freely – mistakes and all – to build English confidence'
PUTRAJAYA: Students must have an environment that encourages them to speak English if they are to improve their language skills.
That is the first step that Ebright Public Speaking Academy managing director Kevin Khoo Kuan Xiong ( pic ) believes Malaysians must take.
'If they have the right environment, they will speak without fear,' he said when met at the Star Education Fair 2025 at the IOI Grand Exhibition and Convention Centre here yesterday.
He said that environmental factors like discouragement from peers are among the reasons why students are reluctant to speak the language.
'Whenever they try to use English, they are condemned or sarcastically mocked.
'That's why we have to get rid of this mentality in the first place,' he said.
He stressed the importance of encouragement in helping students overcome their fear of speaking English.
'When we encourage students to speak, we shouldn't nitpick every single word they use.
'Let them speak naturally, and then we can try to fine-tune their grammar. Doing so will improve their self-confidence,' he said.
Khoo also advised parents to give their children a platform to shine.
'That means enrolling them in courses, classes or platforms where they have the opportunity to speak in public.
'That will train and boost their confidence in using the language,' he said.
Ebright students Dhiya Humaira and Seshasri Rajan, both 12, agreed that having a platform to practise the language is essential.
Dhiya said it helps to speak more and read storybooks.
'Other than that, you can ask your friends for help.
'Try communicating with them in English, and read signboards or anything written in English,' she said.
Seshasri also recommended joining English courses and competitions such as Scrabble and public speaking.
'I've joined many competitions. I've also learnt from online resources and my mum. My English teacher, especially, helps me improve my English,' she said.
The duo, along with team member Sathes Rajan, 13, also an Ebright student, are winners of the World Scholar's Cup Kuala Lumpur round recently. They will be heading to the global round in Bangkok, Thailand, next month.
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Focus Malaysia
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Carol Loo (first right) with members of the Malaysian peacekeeping force in Glamoc, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1996. (Carol Loo pic) In this capacity, Carol oversaw the mobilisation of Malaysian peacekeeping contingents bound for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the mid-1990s. When international tensions in former Yugoslavia escalated, Malaysia deployed Malbatt VII under the auspices of the United Nations. Carol furnished ground intelligence, ensuring that Malbatt commanders received timely updates on ceasefire violations, humanitarian corridors, and potential threats to Malaysian peacekeepers. Her work extended to supporting domestic operations —monitoring border security, counter-terrorism movements, and natural disaster relief assignments. While excelling in the field, Carol also pursued formal academic qualifications. She earned a diploma in defence and strategic studies from the University of Malaya, deepening her understanding of geopolitics and military theory. 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Macva lobbies for improved healthcare benefits, reintegration programmes for veterans, and social initiatives to preserve the history of their contributions to Malaysia's security. Carol's post-retirement advocacy underscores a lifelong commitment to the country she served, an ethos inherited from her father's wartime service and reinforced by her own pioneering career. Her story illustrates that courage, intellect, and a willingness to defy convention can transform not only an individual's destiny but also the fate of a nation's armed forces.
