Introduction

Glorious English aims to promote, facilitate and encourage the learning of English within Malaysia's multi-cultural and multi-lingual context.

To meet these goals, the programme offers:

• A progressive learning programme for learners of various capabilities.
• A higher weekly exposure to, and immersion, in English.
• The International Phonetic Symbols (IPS) to teach correct and accurate English pronunciation.
• Role plays and drama to encourage oral competence and confidence.
• Practical and fun activities and games in the lessons.
• Stories, songs and rhymes to encourage love of the language.
• Grammar theory and practice.

 

The Coursework

Goodies Elementary Intermediate Higher	recommended for children age 4 - 5 recommended for children age 6 - 7 recommended for children age 8 - 9 recommended for children age 10 - 12
Goodies
Number of books: Duration per book: Hours per week:	6 books main books with supplementary workbooks 3 months 2 hours
Elementary
Number of books: Duration per book: Hours per week:	4 books main books with supplementary workbooks 3 months 2 hours
Intermediate
Number of books: Duration per book: Hours per week:	4 books main books with supplementary workbooks 3 - 4 months 2 hours
Higher
Number of books: Duration per book: Hours per week:	3 books main books with supplementary workbooks 4 - 5 months 2 hours

The International Phonetic Symbols (IPS)

The International Phonetic Symbols as used in Glorious English is based on the International Phonetic Alphabet which could be seen in authoritative dictionaries all over the world, for example the Oxford dictionaries and the Longman dictionaries. Each of these symbols is used to represent one particular speech sound.

The IPS is nearly the same as the IPA except for a few symbols for the vowel sounds which have been simplified from the IPA to facilitate its teaching and learning for young learners.

Below is a table showing all the symbols of IPS used in Glorious English.

Vowels and Diphthongs

English is Not Phonetic

The reason for learning IPS is also the same reason why dictionaries use IPA - the English language does not have a regular spelling and pronunciation system.

Many teachers and learners of English language have the tendency to assume that the spelling regularly corresponds to a specific sound like the Malay language spelling system. This is actually highly misleading and has led to many incidents of mispronunciation among non-native English speakers.

To have a clearer understanding of English language's problematic spelling and pronunciation - read the poem below out loud.

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble but not you,
On hiccough, through, lough and thorough.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead--it's said like bed, not bead.
For goodness's sake, don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat:
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose -
Just look them up - and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart.
Come, come, I've hardly made a start.

A dreadful language? Man alive,
I'd mastered it when I was five.

After reading only a few lines of the poem above, you would soon realize that although many words look like they ought to sound the same, but in reality they are pronounced in totally different ways.

The Importance of Learning the IPS

Using the IPS is essential for learners of the English language who live and speak in a culture that uses another language. With the IPS, learners would:

• Learn not to rely solely on the spelling for the sound of words.
  • This reliance on spelling has led to many non-native speakers to mispronounce English words. Some of the common words that are often mispronounced are "their," "men" and "Wednesday."
    
• Learn to be aware of the stress and rhythm of the words.
  • Combined with bad pronunciation and insensitivity to the stresses, many people often have trouble achieving fluency in speech and writing.
    
• Become to be independent learners.
  • Learners would cultivate the habit of looking up and learning the accurate pronunciation from dictionaries.
  • Learners would be more aware of how words are mispronounced and be more careful about picking up bad pronunciation habits from their environment.

  With the above, speakers who use the IPS as a learning tool would:

• Perform with more confidence during oral examinations.
• Become more effective and influential speakers in any situation.
• Be better in writing fluent English, especially in creative writing.
• Project a more powerful social impression through better speech.
  

  Role Play & Drama

  Role plays and dramas are essential in learning languages in a dynamic and interactive way because:

• Languages are used in social contexts like buying food at a restaurant or giving directions. Role plays and dramas provide such contexts into the classroom for language practise.
• They provide opportunities for learners to speak and interact in English.
• They encourage learners to put grammar and vocabulary into practical usage.
• They encourage learners to put aside their personal inhibitions and shyness to speak English while playing a role.
• They provide a platform for acquiring higher confidence in private and public communication.

  Therefore, in order to bring these social communication needs in class, Glorious English has included role plays and dramas as part of the teaching and learning strategy.
  
  Course Materials