Top 5 Reasons Why Malaysian Mums Think That English Is Important For Children

Have you ever thought of why English is important for children?

Why have you been playing nursery rhymes for your babies and toddlers, as young as a few months old?

Why have you been sending your children to English enrichment classes?

Or why have you been reading English story books to your children before bedtime?

The reason is quite simple: we wish to immerse our children in English so that they can master the language at a young age.

But then, what’s so great about being fluent in English?

If you have yet to find a solid answer for your actions, it’s time for you to look into what other mums have to say about the importance of English for their children.

Top 5 Reasons Why English is Important for Children

#1 English is a global language.

Do you know that out of five people, one person can speak or at least understand English?

This is how English is commonly spoken around the world.

Here’s how a parent, Are-liff Alif realised the importance of her children mastering the English language.

English is important for children nowadays because it is one of the commonly used languages in the world. Many resources and platforms are using English as their main language.

It is an international language that helps us stay connected with the world. Even in Malaysia, English is known as the second language.

Other mums also had similar opinions on how English is commonly used worldwide,

English is the medium of communication that transcends the global and cultural boundaries. Thus, a good foundation in English can help a child to explore more books and educational media. English can be a solid platform for them to learn other languages, too.

According to another mum, the importance of English is even more apparent during the ongoing pandemic,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world have found more innovative ways to stay connected. With the rise of virtual platforms like Zoom, a meeting between a person in Malaysia and in the US is just a simple click away. Therefore, a good grasp of the English language opens doors to endless opportunities in the future.

#2 English gives your children access to knowledge around the world.

Due to the proliferation of technology advancement, your children can acquire knowledge and skills anytime, anywhere.

One mum noted that, Huoy Huoy Lim

The amount of knowledge available on the internet is tremendous. With just a few keystrokes, my little ones can easily learn new stuff on their own. There are videos, pictorials, and texts available to help them gather information with ease.

Another mum, Lim Chong Teck also shared about how English could open up the ocean of knowledge with an analogy,

English is important for children nowadays because it is an essential tool to help them in the pursuit of knowledge.

A fisherman fishing at the edge of the lake may be able to catch enough fish to survive for the day. However, if the fisherman has a boat and goes to the center of the lake, he might be able to catch a wider variety of fish and make a better living.

Just as the boat can bring more prosperity to the fisherman, the English language can get our children to explore limitless knowledge to satisfy their curiosities.

#3 English guarantees your children the access to better education and future prospects.

With the mastery of English, your children can enjoy a wider range of options for their education.

They would be able to cope with tertiary education better, too. This is because many universities are now expecting the students to have a certain level of English skills.

Another mum shares the importance of her child learning English for a better future,

We know that most international examinations, such as A-levels, are in English. I hope that she can further her study overseas in the future by having a strong English foundation from a young age. Besides, she can travel around the world easily, too, with fluent English.

On top of this, it also puts them at an advantage in the job market. Let’s see how some mums view this aspect!

My child can secure better jobs by demonstrating high proficiency in English.

As more schools and companies are now mandating English as the official language besides Malay and Chinese, we can assume that English is the key towards better training and credentials for their careers and throughout their lives in general.

#4 English breaks down the communication barrier.

Living in Malaysia, we know that communication is sometimes challenging if we do not share a common language.

That’s when English can come in handy and most mums are aware of this, too.

We have one mum, Ahsha Damadaran who was able to deal with communication barrier in her family with English,

As both my husband and I do not share the same mother tongue, language barrier has been an issue for our children. To resolve this, we use English to communicate in the family. With this, children can also acquire their mother tongue with our explanation in English. 

Not only that, English improves communication at home, but she also realised that the language also helps her children to deal with their school lives,

Introducing English language as their first language has really helped my children to improve their self-esteem and social skills. They are able to communicate well among their peers. They are also able to ask for help from their friends when it comes to their studies.

I firmly believe that the English language is really important for kids nowadays.

Another mum, Yvianne Ong also shared on how the family decided to use English with their toddlers to avoid any language confusion and to promote effective communication,

I chose English as the main language to communicate at home due to its important needs in society. Ever since I sent her to the nursery when she was 8 months old, she has had no communication barrier with the caretakers who are of different races. Similarly, she can easily mingle around with children of different races by speaking in English.

#5 English is the language of the Internet.

Whenever you are on search engines, websites, or any other social media platforms, it is obvious that most of them are in English.

Thus, when a child learns and masters the English Language at a young age, they will also be able to master 21st century skills.

One mum, Huoy Huoy Lim talked about how her children was able to thrive in the online world with a solid foundation in English,

At times, I wonder how far they would go with such a huge advantage since their childhood. Naturally, the online platform would be the right place to start them on the right path.

With the aid of a digital device, I know that they have the right tool to access various educational sites.

Another mum, Lim Chong Teck shared a similar opinion, too,

Getting our child to have a good mastery of English is made easier nowadays with online classes. Learning through observation, communication, and play will certainly help our children to gain more confidence in speaking in English.

These are among the top reasons shared by parents who joined the Novakid x Motherhood.com.my Facebook contest – “English is so important for kids nowadays because …” from 19 May to 9 June 2021.

Novakid is an English learning platform that prioritises making your child fall in love with learning English through its fun & interactive classes by Native teachers as well as its flexible schedule that lets your child learn at its optimum condition!

Congratulations to All Winners!

We collaborated with Novakid to understand how much Malaysians’ mums see the importance of English and we are passionate to help Malaysian children to improve their English level by providing some good and useful tools to some of them.

Thirty-five (35) lucky winners were chosen based on their most heart-warming and interesting opinions on the importance of learning English.

A big thank you to every parent who has participated in the contest and heartfelt congratulations to all the winners!

Head over to Novakid for more information. Register today and watch your child’s confidence soars.