Stand Up, Speak Up and Stand Out! [Sunway]

The Story

Hello peeps! We are the “Speak Up!” team from AIESEC in Sunway! We believe in taking small steps that will translate into a huge impact to the world.

Based on various researches regarding English proficiency in Malaysia, we found that:

• According to National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Preschool to Post-Secondary Education), 3 of 10 of secondary students achieved a minimum credit in SPM English paper.
• In a survey by Malaysia Employers Federation (MEF) in 2017, more than 90% of employers indicated the need for graduates to improve their English proficiency to become more employable.

Hence, we are now targeting youth, mainly age group ranging from 13 to 25, so that they will be well-equipped in the working world. To achieve our goals, we have partnered with schools, learning centres and also orphanages to support students in boosting their English proficiency.

We have also listed Speak Up! as part of student’s co-curricular activities in school and also education centres. For example, we worked with Manna Learning Center to provide lessons of public speaking to the kids over there, they are one of our ongoing partners that shared our beliefs that small gestures lead to big opportunities for learning and improvement.

How are we doing it?

We believe that the impact can only be created through long-term and consistent engagement. By conducting workshops, interactive activities and monitoring student's learning and improvement consistently, they are able to “Stand Up, Speak Up and Stand Out!” effortlessly in any occasions!

1. Students will first take an English assessment to measure their level of proficiency, which in turn help us to better categorize and target activities based on their proficiency.
2. Training will be given and conducted by our trusted learning partners such as Teach Malaysia will be provided to the local and international volunteers.
3. The volunteers will be conducting a series of workshops including speaking, writing and reading workshops for the students to provide a holistic learning to the students. For instance, Global Village and Public Speaking Competition are one of a few activities that we have run previously.
4. At the end of the project, a final English assessment test will be done by the students so that we can measure the improvement of the students. The results will be compiled and sent to the schools or centres for further review and assessment to determine the future direction of the project initiatives.

We hope to achieve these few key points through our Speak Up! programme:

• Students are aware of the importance and benefits of speaking English confidently.
• Students gain confidence to ask questions and speak English in class after the project.
• Students to encourage peers to join action initiatives and start speaking English.
• Students are able to pass their final exams and oral tests successfully.

With support from the public, we can provide a more wholesome experience for the volunteers, to ensure they are well prepared to develop themselves and give their best to help the communities here around us in Subang. With sufficient financial support, we will be able to access quality project materials including training or workshops and cutting down on the travelling costs for volunteers. Together, let's assist the volunteers to provide quality Speak Up! sessions for students to better themselves and move the nation forward!