The Malaysian Secondary School EFL Speaking Curriculum: A Theoretical Foundation alignment analysis

 

Hazleena Baharun¹*, Harison Mohd Sidek^2, , Noor Saazai Mat Saad³, Mohd Muzhafar Mohd Idrus⁴, Haliza Harun⁵, Ramiaida Darmi⁶, Norhana Abdullah⁷ and Zarina Ashikin Zakaria⁸

¹Dr., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, hazleena@usim.edu.my

² Assoc. Prof. Dr., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, harison@usim.edu.my

³ Dr., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, noorsaazai@usim.edu.my

⁴Dr., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, muzhafaridrus@usim.edu.my

⁵Dr., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, haliza@usim.edu.my

⁶Dr., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, ramiaida@usim.edu.my

⁷Ms., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, hana66@usim.edu.my

⁸Ms., Islamic Science University of Malaysia, MALAYSIA, zarina@usim.edu.my

*Corresponding author

 

Abstract

Goal–achieving curricular are often coherent at their fundamental level. In order for a curriculum to achieve its goals, it is imperative that the curriculum is coherent at all levels. What is presented in a curriculum must align with its theoretical underpinning. The present Malaysian English language curriculum is developed and designed based on the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine if the theoretical grounding of the Malaysian form five English language curriculum, in particular the speaking curriculum, is in alignment with its communicative label. In line with its label, the speaking curriculum embedded in the Malaysian form five English language curriculum should be developed and designed based on the CLT. It should reflect the CLT approach. The data for this study were collected from the Form Five English Language Curriculum Specifications document and the Form Five English Language textbook. In analyzing the alignment of the Malaysian form five English language speaking curriculum with the communicative approach, the data were categorized under major second language acquisition (SLA) theories and second language (L2) speaking theories. The findings show that the socio-cognitive and socio-cultural theories are highly reflected in the Malaysian form five English Language speaking curriculum, the two theories which are closely related to the communicative approach. This shows that the Malaysian form five English language speaking curriculum is primarily in alignment with its communicative label. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications on English as a foreign language (EFL) speaking instruction.

Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching, L2 speaking theories, English language speaking curriculum