Three different languages are involved in SPM tuition, and each is a separate choice. Keeping them apart removes most of the confusion parents feel about online lessons.
What are the three languages?
| Language | What it means | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Website language | What you read here | You, using the language switch |
| Teaching language | What the teacher speaks in the lesson | English or BM, depending on the subject |
| Exam language | What the student writes in the paper | The subject and the student’s school |
A parent can read this page in Chinese, the lesson can be in BM or English, and the student can still answer the SPM paper in English. Understanding website language and teaching language goes deeper on the first two.
How does an explanation that links BM and English work?
Here is a worked example from Form 4 Biology, on a term the exam writes in English.
The teacher introduces osmosis in BM: air bergerak melalui membran separa telap daripada kawasan yang lebih cair ke kawasan yang lebih pekat. The student understands the idea. Then the teacher says: “In the exam, write it in English: movement of water across a partially permeable membrane from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution.” The student writes both side by side in a notebook.
The concept is learned in one language and the exam wording is attached straight after. This is an easier order than learning both at once.
What can you ask for?
Lessons are in English or BM, depending on the subject. Subjects examined in Malay, such as Accounting, are taught in BM, and the teacher can explain in English where it helps.
You can also ask for a bridge between the two sets of terms. The BM-English terminology bridge with Chinese explanations lists common exam terms side by side, and the student can use it between lessons.
What is the limit?
Teaching language helps understanding, but it cannot replace practice in the exam language. A student who will write English answers needs to write English answers in practice too.
The teacher can plan this with you, moving towards exam wording as the student gets ready. How our online tuition works shows the steps from enquiry to trial. The one-hour trial class (from RM50) is the place to see whether the teacher’s way of explaining suits your child.