Phua Chu Kang's English Pre- and Post-BEST classes: A Study on Secondary School Teachers' and Students' Attitudes towards it

Maslina Binte Mohd Noh

English Language Honours AE, NIE, 2003

Abstract

The main aim of this academic exercise is to carry out an empirical investigation of secondary school teachers' and students' attitudes towards Phua Chu Kang (PCK)'s English pre- and post-Basic English Skills Training (BEST) classes and based on the findings, make some suggestions for future language planning policies in Singapore. This is achieved through using a questionnaire to elicit the attitudes of teachers and students as well as an online interview with the past and present producers of PCK Pte Ltd.

The main findings of this study are:

The findings of this study suggest that in order to arrest the problem of declining standards of English, there is a need to improve the level of English of the general public. In other words, the government's Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) is a step in the right direction. Additionally, the SGEM should be given a much wider publicity and the systematic teaching of pronunciation in schools is advocated.