Tan , Kok Eng
(2006)
Writing English Essays Within Dominant
Discourses In Malaysian Schools.
The Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education (formerly known as Journal of Educators and Education), 21 (1).
pp. 1-23.
ISSN 2289-9057
Abstract
Writing is one of the four English language skills taught and tested in the
education system in Malaysia. At the upper secondary school level, students write a
variety of text types, most of which conform to examination genres. Given a learning
context that is examination-driven and teacher-centred, and a writing curriculum that is
non-negotiable, how do students accomplish their writing tasks? Embedding the
classroom in an institutional and a larger sociocultural context, this paper demonstrates
how some students responded to teacher instructions such as "Read, understand, interpret,
do" and "Strictly no discussion please." Data were taken from student interviews, teacher
interviews, students' written products and classroom observations of writing lessons over
the second half of the school year. Findings from the study show the students' compliance
with their teacher's expectations and writing requirements for school and examination
purposes. It was a strategy to "get it done" but within school sanctions. In out-of-school
contexts, students were engaged in other contrasting types of writing in English which
served other social purposes.
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