21st century education: Listening to the concerns of the English language teachers in Malaysian primary school

Abstract

This study examines the concerns and experiences faced by Malaysian English language primary school teachers in the teaching of the speaking skill in the 21st Century classroom. Four English language teachers took part in the study and the data were collected through classroom observations, teachers' reflective journal and interviews. Fifteen main issues were derived, identified and placed under three main themes: (a) classroom management; (b) classroom teaching; and (c) student learning. This paper aims to draw attention to the underlying reasons given by teachers and the issues that they face in teaching speaking skills in the 21st Century classroom. Based on the teachers' feedbacks, some recommendations on overcoming the issues and concerns were also been discussed.