Today, in the new era, the Malaysia Ministry of Education (MOE) has made an aspiration by aiming to equip students with all the 21st century skills that particularly emphasize on the thinking skills, life skills and career progression based on the practice of good values.
Before the year 2020, English Literature has been one component in English studies. However, the Standards-Based Secondary Curriculum (KSSM) has been upgraded and adapted the IGCSE Literature in English 0475 and took out the once literature component in English course to now stand alone as one elective language course called Literature in English 2205.
The SPM result in 2020 showed a progression and increase in performance for English Literature where they performed better than SPM 2019, based on the analysis report from the Ministry of Education. Should you take this elective course?
YES!
There are a lot of benefits in learning literature. Even though some says, learning English is already hard, why should we go deeper into literature which is more complicated to understand?
Here’s why.
Why Should We Study English Literature?
The main principles for English Literature studies is to enable students to meet the expectation and demands of the diverse, globalised and dynamic era. These are the 5 guiding points that have been lined up by the MOE.
Preparing for the real world
The current education system will always focus on the real world as the modernization has made the world move faster and the expectation has greatly increased compared to a decade ago.
Students are able to gain a lot of crucial skills needed to survive in the future career, such as critical thinking, communication, presentation and analyzing skills.
Sustaining Language Use
The usage of Literary language can be sustained beyond the classroom. There are four themes that has been adopted in the interdisciplinary approach by the curriculum which are:
- People and Culture
- Health and Environment
- Science and Technology
- Consumerism and Financial Awareness
These themes are relatable to the real life situation where students are able develop deeper understanding and awareness of their surrounding by learning literature.
Acquiring Global Competencies
There are few global competence that incorporates with the knowledge and skills that student can gather from the study which are:
- Curiosity that leads to lots of new investigation and researches
- Ability to engage ideas to various audience on various topics through different mediums
- Taking responsibility through their action and decision that allows them to become a global player
Developing Confident and Competent Communicators
The most vital parts in all language study is to be able to absorb the communication skills to be able to converse and convey ideas effectively. By being able to read, understand and explore the literary texts, students can enhance their confidence and competency level in communication.
You can read on the SPM English Literature Novel questions.
What is the Best Online Website for SPM English Literature References?
You must have clicked on Superprof to get a glimpse on how literature is right? Or perhaps going to take on a leap to try to learn more deeper about literature. Fret not. We have searched in and out to find the best online website for SPM English Literature References.
The best website to learn about poetry is the Poetry Foundation which is primarily dedicated to poetry. The best thing is they even have podcasts and videos for poetry reading.
All the poems in SPM Syllabus can be found here and also on most reputable poetry websites. Check these out.
- The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, By Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
- Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, By William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
- The Tyger, By William Blake (1757-1827)
- To Autumn, By John Keats (1795-1821)
- London, By William Blake (1757-1827)
- The Little Black Boy, By William Blake (1757-1827)
- If, By Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
- Miners, By Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
- Half-Term, By U.A. Fanthorpe (1929-2009)
- Address to A Child During A Boisterous Winter Evening, By Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855)
You can also take a look at Cambridge IGCSE Literature English to get more knowledge on literature. Remember, they can support and teach the way to answer your paper, but you should always go back to SPM Syllabus so as not to get confused.
The Poetry Archive is like a poetry foundation that has an extensive range of poems, including poems from set texts. The best thing about this website is listening to poets reading their own work like podcasts. They also provide a glossary used when studying poetry.
The Cliffs Notes literature provides useful information about the literature elements such as plot, characters and main ideas of literature texts. They have quizzes to test just how well you know your texts. The practice is useful as a starting-point for study, however, they are not a substitute to your SPM Syllabus.
The BBC Bitesize Literature website contains a lot of resources on some popular texts, such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
You can find practices and notes on SPM English Literature Reference here too :
- Bumi Gemilang
- Sistem Guru Online dot my
- Guru Besar dot com
You are now able to read on SPM English Literature Drama.
| Reference book / category | What it is for | Approx. price | How to purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| School-Prescribed SPM English Literature Books | Your school's prescribed novel, short-story anthology, poetry collection and drama text. Buy only the titles your school assigns. | Varies | School bookshop, major Malaysian bookstores, or Shopee Malaysia |
| SPM English Literature Reference / Revision Guide | Themes, characters, plot, literary devices, important quotations, analysis and sample answers | RM15–40 | Shopee Malaysia |
| Focus SPM English Form 4 & 5 | Comprehensive SPM English revision and exam practice, including Literature support | ~RM33 | POPULAR Online |
| Ranger SPM English 2026 | Compact revision, notes and exam preparation | RM21.95 | MPH Online |
| Spotlight A+ SPM English Form 4 & 5 | Higher-level revision and exam preparation | RM31.90 | MPH Online |
| Revisi Grafik SPM English Form 4 & 5 | Fast revision through summaries and visual notes | RM14.90 | MPH Online |
| Mastering SPM Writing for English Form 4 & 5 | Essay/writing skills for the wider SPM English paper | RM11–12 | SBC Book Centre |
| SPM English Model Papers / Practice Books | Timed practice, exam technique and answer checking | RM9–20 | TOPBOOKS |
What is the Best Academic Book for References on SPM English Literature?
Even with modern tech, the physical books can be very helpful during your study. Firstly, you don't have to print out a lot of exercises which can be quite costly if you consider the toner used compared to buying a book from the bookstore. These days, you can find affordable books at a cost as low as RM 3 per book (usually will have at least 3-4 sets of model questions). Super saver!
With the help of online shopping, most bookstores have set up their own online stores such as Kinokuniya, Popular, and MPH. Besides, there are also local sellers who sell books on Lazada and Shopee. Yes, with the movement control order, this has made things easy.
So which book should you buy?
The best academic book to look for is definitely the official KPM books. The short stories come in a book called Anthology Of Short Stories Form 4 & 5. Flowers for Algernon referred to the drama adaptation by Bert Coules, and not the original story.
You might want to check out some tips on answering SPM English Literature Short Stories questions.
A Weekly Exam Practice
Monday
Revise Portia as a character
Learn about her intelligence, compassion, independence, loyalty and relationship with Bassanio.
Tuesday
Plan a past-year question on Portia, such as “How does Shakespeare present Portia as a resourceful woman?”
Prepare 2–3 main points with relevant evidence.
Wednesday
Write a timed paragraph
Explain how Portia demonstrates intelligence and resourcefulness, and use a short quotation.
Thursday
Compare your answer with a model answer.
Identify the flaws in your writing and then rewrite the paragraph using stronger vocabulary and explanation.
Friday
Memorise five short Portia quotations.
For each one, practise explaining what it reveals about her personality, values or role in the play.
Saturday
Write one full timed Literature response on Portia, e.g. “How far do you agree that Portia is the most powerful female character in the play?”
Sunday
Review your answer with your teacher/classmate. Note 3 strengths + 3 improvements, especially quotation use, analysis and essay structure.
How to Turn SPM English Literature Resources into Better Exam Answers
Having access to SPM English literature resources is essential but simply having them is not sufficient. You need to be able to turn them into better exam answers that result in confident writing and stronger examination performance.
The ultimate goal should be to move from knowing a text to understanding it well and using it effectively in your exams.
Build a Quotation Bank that you Can Actually Use
A quotation bank will make your revision more focused and reveal something important about a character or a theme. For every quotation, note who says it, what is happening in the text and why the author has presented the idea in that manner.
For example, take this quote:
"A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off / Nearest his heart.”
“But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed / One drop of Christian blood…”
This shows Shylock’s deep desire for revenge and shows how far he is ready to go to exact revenge from Antonio. To make your answer stronger, explain the relation between jews and Christians during Shakespeare’s times and elements of prejudice.
Revise Themes, Characters and Techniques Separately
Instead of revising the entire text as one block, use the MECE framework, a structured framework popularised by McKinsey, to organise your information, avoiding repetitions.
- Characters: Organise characters and understand the relationships between them and what their motivation is
- Themes: Identify the central theme of the text, like courage, friendship, justice and connect these themes to the characters
- Writer’s methods: Look for imagery, dialogue, setting, symbolism, or tone and explain how it affects the reader
- Exam writing: Practice planning answers, writing with evidence and editing your work
This technique will help you build separate knowledge areas that can help you immensely with your answer writing.
Ask for Feedback and Improve one Skill at a Time
Revising on your own will not help you know where you need to improve. Instead of simply asking your tutor whether your writing is “good” or “bad,” take a particular essay or paragraph and ask them to show what is wrong with your writing.
For instance, you can ask them whether you have used a quotation properly or whether you have answered the question effectively.
It can also be good to join a study group as different students will interpret questions differently. By comparing these different interpretations, you can find possibilities that may not have struck you previously.
Keeping an “error log” is another useful practice for maintaining a record of recurring grammar, quotation and explanation mistakes.
What is the Best TV or YouTube Channel to Learn SPM English Literature?
The best channel to learn SPM English Literature is the Ministry of Education Malaysia Education TV which is called Didik Tutor TV.
Cikgu Norhayati and Cikgu Hanin gave a wonderful introduction on the latest SPM English Literature 2205 course. If you still don't understand the course or whether you are still weighing to take or not to take the course, you can take a look at the course.
Recently Pn. Renuka gives an insightful lesson on The Clay Marble (Prose) and two poems, Address to a Child During a Boisterous Evening and Mooses. Meanwhile, Pn. Asimah did a review on Flowers for Algernon (Drama); the short stories ‘Sambal Without Anchovies’ and ‘Turning Thirty’.
Learn more about the format of SPM English Literature Poetry.
How Can Literature Studies Help You in The Future?
Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our life has already become.
C.S. Louis
Literature can help to up-skillyour English language, expand your vocabulary whilst strengthening your writing skills that helps you to write articulately and coherently.
Besides, literature allows you to be critical which is a very important skill for any type of career. Example for consultants, doctors, and lawyers who need to have great understanding skills to consult clients and patients, they’ll need to be able to read between the lines.
“The most essential and fundamental aspects of culture is the study of literature, since this is an education in how to picture and understand human situations”
-Iris Murdoch
Here is why literacy skills are very important:
- Ability to do critical analysis. You are able to express your own views and opinions on things which enhance your ability to analyse written structures, themes, characters and ideas.
- Increase your intellectual curiosity. You’ll be able to read between the lines to decipher the meaning, message and the intent of the author. You’ll learn about culture, history and society through different eras.
- Enhance your writing skills. You can write clear sentences that can be easily understood and flow nicely. You are able to convey a message concisely and are able to present your arguments in a good way. At the same time, you can upskill your communication skills in both written and spoken language that is vital for your future career.
Through the Malaysian English Literature subjects, MOE’s have identified the benefits of studying literature. The students will be able to become:
- Resilient
- Thinker
- Communicator
- Team Player
- Inquisitive
- Principled
- Informed
- Caring
- Patriotic
How can You Score ‘A’ in SPM English Literature 2021?
Scoring ‘A’ sounds impossible but the word impossible can also be spelled as “I’m Possible”.
The first thing you should do is to enjoy your reading. If you always think that literature is boring, then it will always be boring. Next, you can broaden your reading and jot notes on the literature elements.
Get friends to start up a ‘Book Club’ and you can always read together and discuss morals and values and many more. By doing so, you can experience analytical discussion on whatever texts that are of interest.
Nonetheless, you can also seek help from teachers or tutors. Get extra classes and fret not, literature classes by far is the most exciting one amongst all. Superprof has a line of experienced and excellent English Literature tutor. You can browse the tutors and set a class that is convenient to your time and place.
The best of all is that it is affordable. The fees can be as low as RM30/hour which can be low compared to the other site. Superprof is one of the most reputable global education platforms that has thousands of tutors available globally!
What are you waiting for? Check it out now!
You can find the Complete Guide for SPM English Literature 2021here.
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