Testimonials: Teaching Placements in Malaysia
Pollux Thain (Malaysia teaching placement, Spring 2023)
“My placement in Malaysia was fantastic from start to finish. I worked with a specialist teacher focused on English Language acquisition, teaching Grades 3-5 students whose language abilities ranged dramatically. The opportunity to work with these learners, under the mentorship of an educator with this specific focus (and who knows at least 4 other languages) was incredibly rewarding.
The 30 students I worked with were separated into five groups, so I learned to differentiate my teaching to best suit each group as we tried a range of reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities. I learned that being conscious of my own use of language is very important—being hyper-specific and unchanging in my words doesn’t equate to the best English acquisition results in my students.
Sunway International School uses the Ontario curriculum in all of its classrooms, so I already had an idea of how to plan and teach when I first walked into the building. The K-5 educators in the school worked as a team, holding regular meetings to problem-solve together. The culture of the school is very collegial and overall, I learned a great deal from my placement that I will take with me into my future teaching career.
My trip to Malaysia was just as incredible as my placement. I was fortunate to explore local villages, go on a mangrove boat tour, and experience local cuisines during my time in Johor. I also managed to fit in a day and night in both Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. I flew in and out of Singapore, and had a whirlwind weekend trip in Thailand, mostly in and around Bangkok. My time exploring some of southeast Asia was full of many beautiful moments, experiences, and memories that I will cherish forever.”
Gajenthiran Sivakumar (Malaysia teaching placement, Spring 2023)
“My experience in Malaysia reinforced a fact that I knew from previous teaching abroad, and that I heard many times throughout my time in the BEd program: there really is a big world of teaching opportunities out there. Teaching internationally is a significant growth experience for anyone, but it can also be a comfortable and lucrative experience. In some contexts, beginning teachers can have accommodations provided to them, as well as a salary that, although generally not as high as in Canada, can allow for a high rate of savings—especially in a country with a low cost of living. Whether international teaching is right for you really depends on the stage of life you are in, where you want to go in your career, and your own personality and preferences. I could easily see myself staying in Malaysia to teach if I was at a different stage in my life (e.g., if I was younger and had a less responsibilities back home).
Sunway International School has a beautiful campus and I truly enjoyed being around the students and staff. They were kind and welcoming; I felt like a valued member of the school. I also learned a lot from teachers at the school. I had weekly meetings with the co-grade-level teacher, which gave me a chance to bounce ideas off of her and consider her thoughts as well. The professional development sessions that happen on Fridays were also useful. Finally, I learned a bit about myself, including that I really enjoyed living with a roommate—spending 7 weeks with Pollux in a foreign country has led to a life-long friendship.
A highlight of my trip to Malaysia was connecting with family members living in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur. These were relatives I hadn’t had a chance to meet before, and I would love to go back to visit them. As a second-generation Canadian from a family of Sri Lankan Tamils, it was interesting connecting with fellow Tamils in Malaysia and hearing about their experiences growing up. I also really enjoyed traveling around and trying as many of the local foods as possible, and I definitely discovered some new favourites (Rendang chicken!).
For other BEd students, I must add that my very positive experience was likely informed by the fact that I already had extensive experience teaching and living abroad prior to entering the program at Lakehead, and that I travelled with my partner and had family connections nearby as well. Regardless, I think the international teaching placement in Malaysia offers so much, including the experience of living in a foreign country, in a foreigner-friendly city, with at low cost of living."