Alicia Kang: Find Out the Reason for Learning
English is a Survival Tool.
The importance of English lies not only in its role as a springboard for personal and career advancement but also as a link to the world. English is the language of international communication and a good command of it is an advantage whether for studies or work. Nowadays, fluency in English is a basic job requirement.
“Alicia Kang started her career in education in 2000, when she founded Mind English Training Centre, an English language education centre, which caters for students from 2 to 18 years old. To learn English, you should first discover your interest in English and the reasons for learning it, she said. Many parents enrol their children for extra English tuition classes, especially English Phonics classes. How important is Phonics in the learning of English? Alicia believes that the earlier children are exposed to Phonics, the more helpful it will be. “”There are different types of accents, and learning Phonics is definitely good for speech. In addition to learning the correct English pronunciation, it can also help students in mastering their grammar and writing skills. She said that English is a survival tool in society. As students gradually master English, they will not feel uneasy or hesitant when exposed to a new environment.
Parents and children attend classes together | Establish a good learning attitude. Alicia Kang has been engaged in education for 18 years, and she still continues to teach, mainly due to the trust of parents and she is loved by students. Many parents may not know Phonics but being willing to learn it is a good way to build a good learning attitude in their children, she suggested. There are many ways to expose children to English, such as teaching or instilling the value of English. ” “Many parents contact me and ask me to correct their pronunciation, and they work with their children to build a good attitude towards English.”
Alicia also pointed out that from 2025 onwards, all Form 5 students will have to get at least B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Leaders in Malaysia are required to take part in the course to improve their English. She believes that the implementation of CEFR from kindergarten, primary school to middle school will be of great help to Chinese students’ English level, which will be in line with the English level of foreign countries.
Entering the career of education | Children as the starting point. Before entering the education industry, Alicia was a banker. Because of her children, she felt obliged to step into the English education industry. She was aware of the importance of English, so she took her children as the starting point and worked hard to have a deeper knowledge of English, hoping to give that knowledge to her children. From there, she developed her interest in English and found her specialty in education. After much studies, she set up Mind English Training & Development Centre in 2010. In her English classes, she not only focuses on phonetics, reading, grammar, writing and conversational skills, but also focuses on practical English in real life. Through interesting and lively interaction in class, teachers and students have more interaction with one another and at the same time, students are also trained in listening skills and pronunciation to enhance their confidence.
You learn while you earn | Convert knowledge into tools. Alicia is now more active in building teams and bringing more professional teachers into her team. She especially encourages college students to work as teacher assistants because it is the best opportunity for them to learn. “”You learn while You earn”” is the best learning attitude. If you want to teach your children how to build a ship, she emphasized, don’t teach them the steps of building it. Just tell them a magnificent sailing story, and they will build the best ship one day. In addition, with her own teaching experience and stories, she came up with a series of books, mainly targeting students aged 2 to 8 years old. The books are used as her teaching materials during the English Phonics lessons. They are divided into five levels and consist of a Student’s Book, Workbook and Fun Reading Book. She also provides English Phonics programme for students aged 9 years and above. Alicia has always believed that as long as you find the joy of learning, continuous learning will not be an issue. Language and knowledge are the best tools, which, if applied throughout your career, can turn into wealth.”