Malay Subjects
1. Conversational Malay (Year 1 & 2)
Overview
Dunman High School offers the Conversational Malay Programme to enable students to communicate with Malay-speaking peers. This compulsory programme for Year 1 and 2 students aims to develop our students’ ability to speak and understand simple Conversational Malay. They will learn basic sentence structures and vocabulary for everyday situations. By the end of the programme, our students should be able to:
- Understand simple spoken Malay Language
- Ask and answer questions using simple Malay Language
- Show an awareness and appreciation of Malay Culture
The teachers in Dunman High School use various teaching strategies to engage students in their learning, such as quizzes, dialogues, role plays and presentations, as well as enrichment activities where students are given the opportunity to enhance their appreciation of Malay culture.
The focus in Y2 is on celebrations and festivals. Students’ Malay language skills will be developed through:
- reading and conversing based on picture and dialogue
- vocabulary and practices
Conversational Malay – Dikir Barat Enrichment Programme
Assessment
Conversational Malay is a non-examinable subject. Formative assessment is carried out at the end of the semester, where students are required to create a card or poster based on one of the themes in the textbook.
Resources
Bahasa Melayu Pertuturan Modul Permulaan 1 & 2 (Textbook)
2. Malay Special Programme (Year 1 - Year 4)
The Malay Special Programme (MSP) is offered to pupils who are interested and inclined towards learning the Malay language and culture. This third language subject is conducted in-house and is facilitated through weekly lessons and various enrichment opportunities. Through the span of four years, students offering MSP are equipped with the necessary skills to articulate and write like a native Malay student. In recent years, Dunman High’s MSP has been organising her very own annual National Scrabble Competition (Sahibba WOW!) and National MSP Essay Writing Competition (Tari Pena). These events have provided a highly interactive learning environment for all MSP students in Singapore to showcase their oratorical and writing skills. Apart from the academic takeaways, the MSP also aims to further enhance the understanding of the Malay culture among the students. Through our Twinning Programme with Sekolah Seri Puteri of Cyberjaya, Malaysia, students are exposed to the unique intricacies and traditions of the Malay culture as they encounter eventful experiences and interactions with native Malay speakers, further developing their cultural quotient.
MSP Day Camp
Assessment
MSP Students will sit for the end-of-year exam comprising oral and written components. The components for written assessments include essay, grammar and comprehension.
Students may use MSP as a relevant subject for the calculation of their Grade-Point-Average (GPA).
At the end of 4 years, students will sit for the O-Level MSP Exam.
MSP Experiential Learning and Projects
MSP Twinning Programme at Sekolah Seri Puteri, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Reflections by Student Tan Shi Ya Shayna (22Y6C42)
On Conversational Malay
Our Conversational Malay (CM) course is extremely useful in providing students with knowledge on basic greetings in Malay. We learnt how to address different people, say basic greetings and ask common questions in Malay. In addition, we were introduced to the Five Pillars of Islam, and also interacted with students from the Madrasahs (religious schools) who welcomed us warmly and were generous in sharing their own schooling experiences. CM is extremely helpful in increasing our exposure to Malay, especially in a SAP school environment.
On MSP
Taking MSP for my third language was definitely a good decision for me. It enriched me immensely as I not only learnt a new language commonly used in Singapore, but was also able to immerse in a new culture. One of my most memorable experiences in MSP was when we prepared a Dikir Barat Performance for our school during National Day. It was a unique and culturally-enriching experience being able to clap, dance, and sing to Malay songs. Other than that, we had an eye-opening experience at the Malay Heritage Centre, where we discovered more about the Malay culture through its artefacts such as the kris, and explore its garden filled with greenery such as the pandan. We were also amazed by the intricate Malay traditional design elements printed on carpets and cloths.
One of our assignments in Year 3 was to film and edit an instructional cooking video with subtitles and voice-overs in Malay. I chose to make milk with brown sugar tapioca pearls, a popular drink in Singapore. It was an interesting learning experience to both cook and create my own video, and share it with my MSP classmates. It also helped me improve my Malay vocabulary. I really enjoyed this cooking video assignment, and it is one of the highlights of my MSP journey.