Let us read the engaging telling of his story.
"I remember an unforgettable incident when I was a Standard Three pupil in the outskirts of Pontian, Johor. I nervously sought my class teacher's permission to go to the toilet. The teacher was furious when I uttered "please teacher may I go up" instead of out.
From then on, I was told to pronounce the correct syllable in every sentence of a story. I was also given novels and short fiction stories by my kind-hearted teacher to brush up my command of the English language.
My proficiency progressed as I advanced into the secondary level where English was the medium in all subjects, except for Bahasa Malaysia and Religious Studies.
I took part in debates, dramas, choral speaking and other oratory contests organised at the school, zone and district levels. I even secured top marks for the subject in the then Senior Cambridge Examinations in 1966.
The following year, when I was 20, I became a teacher trainee at the now defunct Mohd Khalid Teachers College or MPMK, located beside SM Sultan Ismail and is now the site for Sekolah Seni and SM Mohd Khalid, both premier secondary schools.
My two years at MPMK was memorable as I was in the first batch of students to be admitted to its newly constructed premises.
I was an English teacher at several primary and secondary schools in Selangor and Johor for the next 18 years.
Although the standard of English among students and pupils of that era was eroding due to a change in the education policy, my students' interest in the subject was very encouraging.
My approach in introducing the subject was very informal. Initially, I requested the pupils to get a jotter book where they could fill in words and find their meanings in the dictionary.
They were also encouraged to write sentences from these words and were told to jot down quotes by listening to conversations on television or radio programmes.
Their efforts will then be discussed in the classroom. My technique succeeded as the students' standard of English improved tremendously.
This was proven by the high grades and marks they achieved in examinations.
My teaching style also produced students who could write short stories and articles. A few of them even sold their works to colleagues.
My teaching career ended in 1988 after I was posted to the Johor Education Department first as supervisor for student affairs and later, as supervisor for health education.
Both positions had little to do with English and I only held on to them for three years. In 1991, I finally secured a job I loved best, as senior state English supervisor and held on to it until 2003.
During my tenure, proficiency courses for English teachers and department personnel were organised in all districts at least twice a year.
As for the students, there were "Speak English Campaign" in schools, singing and choir competitions, poetry, choral speaking and many more.
A few years after retirement, I set up "JELTA" (Johor English Language Teachers Enterprise) along with a group of retired teachers and private teachers from learning and tuition centres throughout the state.
Since its inception, JELTA has organised a series of English courses and seminars on UPSR, PMR and SPM question-answer techniques for students.
Other targeted groups include pre-school teachers, private teachers of religious schools, and individuals eager to master the language.
Two years ago, I was elected the English coordinator for Felda English Language Centre and I also lecture at VSS Academy.
Early this year, I became a relief teacher of a government school under the Education Ministry's programme called "Kumpulan Guru Simpanan Kebangsaan" (National Relief Teachers' Group).
Although the government via the ministry had contributed efforts to enhance the standard of English among students, its objectives are still questionable.
English teachers, in particular, should be more proactive and prepare their lesson plans well before presenting them in the classroom.
A good, creative educator will do away with the traditional approach, and let the young present their ideas, communicate and write freely.
Child-centred learning is beneficial as it allows students to share their points through mind-webbing, brainstorming and words listing in the discussed topic. Teachers should only act as facilitators.
My advice for teachers is to sacrifice some time in learning to be more creative when teaching the subject.
Adib Esa, 63, stays in Bandar Baru Uda with his wife, Nahariah Abd Majid. They have three children and five grandchildren."
We must have more teachers passionate of this subject such as Adib to ensure English continues to be upgraded in the coming years.
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