English is the second language in Malaysia and is predominantly important especially in education as references to knowledge in the world is made available in English.
In a virtual meeting held by Rotary Club of Puteri Lagoon Johor Bahru, Associate Professor Dr Hariharan N Krishnasamy, a senior lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia, shared how newspapers could supplement and complement the textbook with the amount of knowledge it holds on a daily basis. The almost perfect way to learn a second language, such as English, is to read the newspapers and here are the reason how the old school method is the best way.
Loaded with Information
Newspapers offer a rich source of information for one to expand their awareness. It can be used to help curriculum-wide learning, foster higher-level thinking ability, and facilitate lifelong reading habits.
Establishing and Recognising What a Good Read is
Newspapers are driven by words to deliver news – be it in physical or virtual forms, which require good usage of the language to deliver its points. The language is what makes the content interesting. Any site can host contents that may be interesting but the grammar might be poor. Newspapers are arranged thoughtfully and that is the advantage of consuming newspapers.
Establishing Critical Thinking Skill
In the height of fake news awareness, it is important to establish critical thinking skills. Students can learn biases and recognise them by reading newspapers and be critical of what they are reading. Balance between the pros and cons, debate on the headlines or offer alternative ideas for example. The information should be reliable, credible and highly accurate in order for one to do this and newspapers hold the answers to this.
