A few decades ago, Shah Alam was an area full of plantations like rubber and oil palm estates, as well as many large industrial factories. When the first public university, MARA Technological University (UiTM) was built in 1967, Shah Alam began developing at a more advanced pace as more people started to migrate there.
It all started with one university - today, there are a total of four universities, as well as numerous colleges, international schools and public schools located in Shah Alam. It is no surprise then that Shah Alam became the administrative centre for the state of Selangor.
Unlike other administrative centres where urbanisation and development tend to eliminate most of the green areas in the city, Shah Alam is considered one of the well-developed green cities filled with many leisure and outdoor activities such as hiking, go-karting, and rope climbing. Even the extreme parks are filled with beautiful street art that captures the abundance of nature throughout the city.
In addition to the numerous residents that work in the city itself, many of them also choose to work in Kuala Lumpur and even Putrajaya (the central administrative hub of Malaysia) due to its travelable distance from the city.
Therefore, the majority of the people who live in Shah Alam are professionals, government workers, businessmen and students!
Wouldn’t you agree then, that working with an English tutor is therefore essential to building a career in popular places throughout Malaysia? Go here to find an English tutor in George Town.
Are you still asking why you need to learn English?
We will let you know in the next section.
Find out here if you are looking for ESOL classes in Petaling Jaya.
What is the importance of completing your English course in Malaysia?
Have you ever noticed that many kindergartens and preschools use English as their main medium of communication?
If you have never seen this, you should get familiar with your residential area. There should be at least 1 preschool in each neighbourhood, although those who live in Shah Alam often refer to their neighbourhood as “seksyen” or section.
Besides encouraging the use of English among teachers and students alike, even the English courses in many preschools and kindergartens would have been tailored to prepare kids to be able to understand English from a young age.
Is it so important to learn English from an early age?
English continues to be been used extensively worldwide, so much so that the world of politics and economics is still dominated by English-speaking countries. Hence, we must prepare the younger generation to learn English and complete any relevant English course in Malaysia, even if English is their second, third or fourth language.
Considering Malaysia is a multiracial and multilingual country with Bahasa Melayu as its national language, we are seeing more and more kids in the next generation growing their abilities to speak at least 3 languages!
How can this be achieved in your child’s lifetime? Nurture them from a young age.
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
Just like this proverb by American philosopher John Dewey, if you support your children by starting their English education as early as possible, they will likely go further in life and find moments of success along their journey.
What about adults who can’t communicate in English at all?
Don't panic! English can be hard if you don't know how to start from the basics. There are various options for an English class near me and learning centres that are specifically designed for adults in Shah Alam (they may even offer a business English course that you have been looking for!). Besides that, you can also find an experienced English tutor to conduct an English course for you.
You can read more on where you can learn ESOL in Kuala Lumpur.
Who should take English courses in Shah Alam?
Earlier, we briefly discussed the challenges faced by adult learners who aren’t able to speak English fluently. What can you do as an adult struggling to speak in English?
First, we need to understand the different types of English courses. Many Malaysians begin learning English formally from the age of 7. The English language curriculum, taught through regular lessons in an English class, has been developed to help students master the language and these regular lessons continue until students reach 17 years of age.
If you are blessed with a strong command of English - including but not limited to grammar, comprehension, writing, listening, etc - then learning with your English teacher at school will be enough for you. Generally, the syllabus we are talking about is a complete English course that includes everything you need to master English. However, the fluency levels will vary from individual to individual.
Meanwhile, if you are a bilingual or trilingual speaker who needs someone to assist you further in your English learning, you can take lessons for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learners, especially in challenging areas like grammar and writing. To improve your pronunciation and understanding of English to reach the level of native speakers, you can even take ESOL listening and speaking classes.
Notice here that ESOL programmes in Malaysia are designed to cater to each student’s individual needs, whether you are a young learner or an adult. What you can do if you are considering an English course is to determine and evaluate your learning needs (and current language level), as well as the best time for you or your child to start taking ESOL lessons.
An ESOL English course in Malaysia can be taken at an early age (usually around 4 to 5 years for children) or even at the age of 40. The age of the learner is usually never an issue. For a general timeline, ESOL courses for children can take up to 5-6 years to complete while for adults, it can take a maximum of 3 years to become fluent in English.
You can learn more about the differences between ESOL, ESL and English in Ipoh here.
Where is the top English class near me in Shah Alam?
The English learning centres in Shah Alam have English courses made for all ages. However, course fees will differ according to the duration of the course and the expertise of the English teacher.
Here are the top English learning centres available for both adults and kids in Shah Alam.
SmartWay English Academy
With the vision of being able to learn, remember and use English practically, this academy specialises in working with adults to build their mastery of the language. In addition to their positive reviews on Google, we noticed that the academy promises that adult learners in their business English course will achieve a usable level of English for career expansion and workplace purposes - all within 90 days. They also maintain that you will grow up to a 98% level of confidence after spending 30 days attending their English course.
Location: 29-3-2, Jalan Setia Prima A U13/A, Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Fridays (1.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.), Saturdays and Sundays (9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.)
Englishpedia Malaysia
Although they have a physical location, many of their English courses are catered to learners who would like to attend their English class from home. Various English courses are provided by this centre, including English lessons from the primary to secondary school level, a MUET English course, and a special Speaking Class for Teens.
ESOL learners who want to have a one-on-one class with an English teacher and experience a personalised English syllabus (including tests and notes) can choose their “VVIP English Class”, but be ready to pay RM800 for 6 hours of lessons.
Location: No.68B, Jalan Nova U5/N, Subang Bestari, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor
Opening hours: 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. daily (depending on your choice of English course or English tutor)
Cambridge English for Life (CEFL)
You have probably already heard of this centre even if you just search for “English class near me” from anywhere in Malaysia. CEFL is an award-winning English language centre in Malaysia, and you’re in luck because they have a centre located in Shah Alam.
Find English courses for preschoolers and even up until those of adult age. If you are looking to read, write, listen and speak confidently in UK Standard English, then CEFL will be a great choice for you.
Location: No.1-3-1, 1-3-2, 1-4-1, 1-4-2, Jalan Setia Prima RU13/R, Sek. U13, Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.
“Start where you are,
Use what you have,
Do what you can.”
-Arthur Ashe-
In following the global trend to be fluent in English as a means to succeed and survive in the current time or future, we should always know when to start learning and how we can do that. You can find out more about ESOL courses in Malaysia.
How to improve your fluency in English outside of your English course?
You know, learning a new language can be daunting for both students and parents.
Here are a few tips that you can keep in your notes for how to learn English and how to improve your English speaking, reading and writing skills in effective ways. As you apply these practical tips, we also hope you also enjoy the journey of learning.
1. Set learning goals
Ask yourself the three Whats:
- What do you want to learn in your English course?
- What do you want to achieve with your fluency in English?
- What makes English important to your future?
Some people learn English to further their tertiary studies, while others need to possess certain levels of English speaking skills for the sake of their business. For many others, they may want to complete a business English course for their own personal or professional growth.
After identifying what you want to learn in the English language and the motives behind learning it, you should be able to focus on specific language areas that you want to improve. Then, you can move on to daily practice habits to help you achieve your goals.
Perhaps you want to expand your vocabulary so that you can better understand what your colleagues are saying every time an important meeting happens. In that case, try this next tip…
2. 10 new words? 10 new synonyms!
You’ll likely pick up new vocabulary words during your English class or even when you’ve heard your English teacher list out essential English phrases you need to know. If not, try reading a book suited to your current language level and you can already find several new words.
Now, what you need to do is write down 10 new vocabulary words that you have heard or read in your notebook. You may also need to write the definitions next to the words if you want to remember what they mean.
Next, find at least one synonym for each of the new words you have listed in your book. There you go, now you have ended up with 20 new vocabulary words (or more!).
Just doing this practice once a week will leave you with at least 80 new words to add to your English vocabulary each month!
It goes without saying: the more English vocabulary that you know, the greater your English comprehension will improve. Not to mention the availability of non-generic words you can now use when writing your English essay!
3. Keep a daily journal (or post on social media!)
This is truly a classic way of learning English. Your English tutor would have probably already encouraged you to keep a journal to write your thoughts and feelings down in English, too.
However, since we are now in the 21st century, there is also the option of keeping a personal blog online to practise your English writing, or even just updating your status on social media status purely in English. Wouldn’t that be a fun way to use English daily? You can even ask for feedback from friends who are native English speakers and have access to your social media updates.
Top tip: Try to avoid using translation apps like Google Translate when completing your daily journal or status on social media - you’ll be surprised at how much you can write without relying on inaccurate translations!
Doing this practice will help you learn how to express your thoughts and opinions in English, and at the same time improve in areas like spelling and writing.
4. Watch English movies or series
Are you a movie fan?
Then you will likely learn English best by immersing yourself in English entertainment!
Say you want to practise your listening skills in English. Try watching a one-hour English series or movie without English subtitles. Alternatively, watching with English subtitles will help you pick up spelling and writing, important for using English fluently.
Generally, this practice will help you with your sentence construction and listening skills in English.
If starting an entire English movie or series feels like too much for you at first, you can also watch your favourite movies or series in your native language - just turn on the English subtitles so you’ll know what the characters are saying in English, and pick up new words and phrases in English from there.
5. Get your hands on English reading materials
This is your sign to start reading all the English news articles, English storybooks and even recipes that have listed their ingredients in English!
A novel may be daunting for the beginner learner who has just started their English course. You can start by reading an easy and shorter storybook before progressing towards lengthier books with more extensive English vocabulary.
One of our favourite ways to begin reading is by getting your hands on English magazines or comic books. Magazines often come with short pieces to start reading news or opinions in English in a shorter period, and the illustrations provided in comic books can make the English reading process feel more leisurely and relaxed.
While reading, another thing you can do is read the piece aloud to yourself so that you can improve your English pronunciation. You can ask a classmate from your English class or even your English teacher to listen to your reading too.
6. Chat and converse with native English speakers
Starting a conversation with a native speaker will give you a sense of “real” English intonation, speed and inflexion.
Chances are that you have taken a group English class with several of your friends or there are native English speakers in your classroom (say you are attending a public or international school). Use this as a chance to speak English more often with your peers: talk about your day, ask them how they have been, or even what they have done over the weekend.
If you don't have anyone to talk to, try to look for an English tutor or English teacher to help you out. We recommend you look no further than Superprof, though.
Click here for English courses in Seberang Perai!
Set yourself up for success with a Superprof English tutor
With all these practical tips for applying English to your daily life and the availability of English courses in Shah Alam, you may find yourself still struggling to get into the best English course in Malaysia.
What if you find English to still be difficult to learn? What if your English tutor is just too far from you?
Don't fret if the schedule set for the English class at your nearby learning centre doesn't fit into your week or if the fees are simply out of your budget. This is the time for you to turn to Superprof and find your ideal English teacher!
Superprof is the leading global education platform that links students to English language experts for various learning levels. Your English tutor on Superprof is ready to help you design an English course suited to YOUR English level, and you can choose to have your English class at any time of your convenience.
Are you aware that fees can be as low as RM25 per hour?
You can even have an online class with your English tutor or have a physical class with them too!
Let us help you navigate your way through the Superprof platform. On the homepage, key in “English” or “ESOL” in the search engine and select “Shah Alam” as your current location - you can omit this if you would rather learn “Online” with your English teacher on Superprof.
You should now be able to view the Superprof Tutors catalogue which lists over 220,000 English Superprof tutors. To make your search for the top English tutor in Shah Alam easier, take note of the ratings, location of the English tutor, type of English courses provided, average English class fee and even Superprof Tutors rankings (Super Tutors and Ambassadors are our top-ranking tutors in the subject).
Make your choice after thoroughly going through your Superprof English tutor’s profile, and then sign up as a student to reach out to your tutor.
Hurry and find your ideal English tutor at Superprof now!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
