Hello everyone! I'm planning on pursuing my pre-university/foundation education this year in UiTM and I have made a decision to take Foundation in TESL.

I know that most people would relate TESL to a teaching career (because it mainly prepares students for it) but I'm not.

I see it as an opportunity for me to study English-related degree in one of the top public universities or maybe private unis if I can afford it, but I don't think I can see that coming in the near future.
Still, I would love to hear your responses/opinions/pros and cons/whatever wisdom you're keeping inside your bright mind regarding the English Language degree in Malaysian universities.
Please share your knowledge.

Below are some of my questions:
1. Can a foundation in TESL in UiTM guarantee my admission to public universities if I get a CGPA of 3.50 and above? What are your opinions so that I can make my application stands out more compared to the other applicants?

2. Do you recommend studying English Major in public universities such as UM, USM, UKM & UUM?
What are your thoughts, opinions or maybe tips and advice about the courses offered in the major from each uni, are they excellence or the worst or maybe just so-so? What about the lecturers and the reputation of the uni? Please provide pros and cons.

3. What is the employability rate of English Major students from the top public universities? Do companies hunger for them? Are they always in demand? Where would most of the students end up working after graduation? Internationally, I know that English Major students can work in a variety of career. They have wide job prospects because they are flexible. But, I'm not sure about Malaysia.

4. Which English Major and Uni would you like to recommend? Please describe more about it.

5. What about the fees, scholarships, accommodation, environment, students and the quality of each uni? Which is worth your money, time and effort?

6. Speaking of universities, which private universities are affordable and offer the best courses in English Major?


7. I know that the questions after this are totally unrelated but I hope you can entertain me some more.
Is media studies (like films) from public universities like UM, USM, UKM & UiTM taught in English or BM? Is their reputation good?

Please note that valid answers are from people who have real experiences, meaning that they have studied in any of the uni mentioned/written above OR they hear the news/opinions from someone who they trust and are very close with.

That's all for now. I would really appreciate the help. Thank you.

My wife, alumni of English for Professional Communication UiTM. I can say, most of her friends are working in a good/reputable company right now. My wife not working, housewife, just do part time as a tutor in Cambridge Centre.

Oh, I see. That's very good to hear. Is it a degree/diploma in EPC (UiTM)? thx for the response btw.

Bachelor.

Hi there. I would recommend Universiti Malaya's english programmes as UM is the oldest university in the country, hence it has a more distinguished background. Its department of English is also very well distinguished in the country and follows a curriculum similar to that of those offered by UK universities (UK - the home of the English language). USM is also alright but of course, you can't really beat UM for this one. Public university fees are definitely cheaper than their private counterparts. If you could, do your best to enter local public uni.

I personally recommend going for English major programmes (or any language majors) in universities because, as you've said earlier, english major students are more flexible in terms of career prospects. We can adapt ourselves into more fields as oppose to those who opt for more specific degrees like Computing or Engineering etc etc. English Majors aren't exactly limited to a certain field as opposed to the aforementioned ones. I read this article by some reputable news company from facebook, talking about the advantages of being an English Major student and some and why the are often the most sought-after workers. I can't find the article but i found something similar: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-bu...-hot-new-hires/

Basically, anyone from any language major courses are favourites. Among the reasons is because we are taken to have more empathy (according to the article I read, as mentioned earlier). We normally acquire our language skills either through reading, listening or speaking. Especially through reading, we tend to have empathy instilled in us more, and that is an important aspect and quality to a person and sometimes preferred over that of technical skills and knowledge. Also, we have more ability to learn and comprehend what is being taught, as a lot of things learnt where through the use of human languages, be it English, Malay, Chinese or others. Basically, having a firm grasp in the usage of a language is a huge leverage when it comes to learning anything. (but the exact employability rate, I'm not too sure. But I know that the demand for English majors aren't decreasing, that's it.)

For private universities, I heard Nottingham is quite reputable, same goes to Methodist College KL. (this is just from what I heard.)

I would personally recommend entering public universities as they normally have larger campuses as opposed to many private unis, and the fees aren't as expensive.. you have to pay a lot for private universities but still you have to study in a small campus.. wouldn't you have liked to go out and explore a larger campus and find yourself some new adventures?

For no.1 to your question.. this you have to do some homework on your own. You may look up to the local uni's websites like UM or USM - they DO mention the requirements for each courses.

Hope I have helped.

I'm a recent form 6 graduate and a STPM 2017 candidate. I want to go for english major as well, and it was certainly important for me to get all these details since I'm heading for such a course.

Hii! Yes, I'm actually from Sabah. I'm of the KadazanDusun race. I'm waiting for the dreaded UPU result next month so I might be or might not be accepted by UiTM. But, yeah, I'll try my best. Thxx

Heyaa~ Thank you for sharing the information. I really appreciate it!

I will try my hardest to enter the public universities but my heart is totally fixed on the English Major offered by UM. It's my top university choice to study English.
And you're right, the department of English in UM is definitely one of the best in Malaysia.

Wow, thank you for the article! Sometimes, there are many people who would question the English degree and to some extent, they would look down on it but I say they just need to reinforce their knowledge and perspective. The article gave me ideas on how to answer a few of the old confused folks and conservative relatives back at home.

And I couldn't agree more. English graduates certainly provide their companies/employers with a lot of perks. Furthermore, they are more well-rounded in terms of skills and personality aspects.

->Yeah, I heard about Nottingham University and the price ain't pretty.

I haven't really experienced a real campus life so I'm really aiming for the top public universities and I certainly would love to explore and find adventures during my education years!

Once again, thank you for the help.You have definitely helped me. It's not always easy to find a person who wants to major in English for their undergraduate study in my case.

All the best for your education too~! I hope we can both get into our dream university.

God Bless!

Thanks. side note,just in case if you wish to enter local uni via Form 6 (STPM) route - go for art stream immediately (remember to take the subject Literature in English cuz that is the requirement). Because since last year, the ministry has now restricted students from science stream to switch to arts programmes at university level (does NOT include music, dance and performing arts - these are different cases of art programmes) due to not having a proper foundation at stpm level (they took science, which became redundant in the end.)

I, unfortunately, am a victim to this new rule. I was a science student for STPM and although i have the necessary CGPA requirements for UM, I can no longer switch to the arts. UM is no longer an option for me since UPU online (a place for local university applications) has automatically set the options and courses for us based on our STPM/Form 6 stream and results.

And, to be honest, I think the best route to enter local uni is to take Form 6 (STPM). Because we are prioritised before considering other qualifications like A-levels, International Baccalaureate and many others. Form 6 lifestyle is not easy, but the actual STPM exam itself is alright (see the clear difference I'm trying to create between Form 6 and STPM? Form 6 is a pre-university programme offered to people of ages 18-20 who wish to enter local uni, and takes the STPM exam. But STPM can be taken by people of any ages, but anyone who aren't of ages 18-20 cannot apply for the Form 6 programme.)

Just a suggestion.

Wish you all the best too ya.

But after having undergone Form 6, I would say it was a very worthy journey to have experienced. They say taking Form 6 is a waste of time. Hohoho, the moment you take it - you'd wish you had more time. STPM now follows the new modular system, which is semester-based. Form 6, or STPM, has three semesters in total, each semester lasting around half a year. And you only have to study a particular semester's syllabus JUST for that half a year only, and you just go for the official exam - yes, the official one - by the end of the semester (meaning - you have to master everything within HALF A YEAR - which is normally very very A LOT). The official exam for each semester is held at the end of each semester, and the total overall CGPA for a subject would then be recalculated again by adding all the three semester's marks along with the coursework's marks altogether. If you're not satisfied with your results, you can retake them after the third semester's exam finishes, which is at the end of your Form 6 programme. You can only retake semester one and semester two's papers, but NOT semester three, which is the last semester. Although the new system has its advantages of only having to study a particular semester's syllabus for half a year only, but if you don't do well and want to retake - you'd be burdened with the weight of the previous semester's syllabus while you'd have the current one needing to be handled properly to avoid another retake. The new modular system now requires us to do courseworks, the one mentioned earlier, for subjects that requires it (they normally require us to do courseworks around semester two, but for some subjects it might be semester three. For maths, it lasts for all three semesters but they aren't as heavy as the one-shot ones). Coursework is considered as Paper 4 for that subject. (Semester One would be Paper 1, Sem two is Paper 2 and Sem 3 would be Paper 3). Coursework marks are taken into account for the overall CGPA marks of a subject.

If you can handle your form 6 life, you can handle a lot of things after, especially at uni level.

This post has been edited by thisgirlspeaks: Mar 10 2018, 10:41 PM

yeah you're right about the form 5/spm part. but we're putting our focus on post-secondary education programmes tho.

Hi, again..
Yes, I'm certain I am a Bumiputera. You must have heard about the ethnic races in Sabah and Sarawak right. We are all Bumiputera. It's supposed to be a common knowledge in Malaysia.

I know that the process of getting picked by UiTM is complex because there are thousands of Bumiputera in Malaysia so even if a person has the privilege of being a Bumiputera race, the offer from UiTM is not guaranteed. All we can do is just hope for the best and pray.

What do you mean by 'you normally do research on non-Bumiputera here'? Do you mean by an open-for-all university?
Your words are quite confusing, hahaha.

Sorry for the late reply
You're welcome and thank you~!

Wow, I didn't know about the new rules at all. Thxx
I'm not really considering form 6 or STPM because I've lost 2 years of a chance to further my studies because of personal reasons, so I don't want to opt for a path that requires another 2 years of my life. You see, I have a goal to get a degree before 24/25, haha. I know it sounds ridiculous but I'm trying.

Aww, that's too bad. You seem like a really bright student and you deserve at least a chance to apply for UM. Haaa..you know how our country is, always changing the system. I don't know if it's for the greater good or it has become worse recently.

And thx for the explanation about STPM/Form 6. It was once my top choice because I know it can guarantee admission to a public university. But I'll see what I can get for my UPU result first and if it's a no go I still have my plan B and C, hahaha.

Ohh.. I see. Well, then I think you better skip Form 6. Cuz I was afraid if you might have wanted to consider Form 6, so I figured letting you know the Form 6 path's requirements in advance so others won't become a victim like myself.. Anyway, I wish you all the best ahhh.

can i know what job / occupation are you going for after the degree in English?

since you're a bumi, you should definitely check out MARA scholarship and other MARA offers as well... i knew there's a lot of perks offered by Mara not just UiTM (always good to have a few backup plans)

Hehe, no worries. I appreciate the info. You too, all the best!

Don't worry about it It's nothing to apologize about. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way too.
Thanks for the help anyways.

Well, for me, I'm really interested in working in a media-related or mass communication industry. I can't really say that my choice of career would be definite so after graduation I'd try working as a journalist, editor or maybe even in the sales.

The possibilites are quite wide you see but I certainly want to aim a job that can help me find experiences especially in filmmaking/communication, well maybe not so suddenly but surely.

Some people might advice me to go for mass communication or filmmaking course instead of a language course but in my opinion to make a film/video/any type of media, writing is a first because it's the plan. And a good writing that delivers messege accurately requires good knowledge and language.

So yeahhh

Anyways, I thought UiTM is affiliated with MARA and so any scholarship-related stuff offered by UiTM is = to offers by MARA.
Thank you very much for the help btw, yea you're right it's good to have a few backup plans.

Hello I'm not familiar with the Malaysian tertiary education system so not going to comment on that.

But just wondering if you are keeping a portfolio for yourself? English major students who wish to work in the media/communications industry are usually encouraged to keep one.
A portfolio can include anything from things you've written on your own leisure time or as part of your university submissions. Maintaining a blog, writing for journals/newspapers, etc.. will also give you an online/digital presence that helps you stand out when job-seeking in the future. You can also consider teaching/mentoring part time while you study.

If you are looking into sales, hopefully your English degree allows your to take electives in Marketing/Economics/Finance/Business/etc..

the reply actually bring me to this question: do journalist or script write requires an english degree?

why not go for a media related degree and taking IELTS or something simlar (i forgot the name of it but it's also equivalen tto IELTS just that the cert doesnt expire in 2 years) as a additional self study

Were you referring to MUET?