How many of y’all think that Sejarah (History) was one of the most boring subjects in high school? Many find it tough to ace due to the fact that it involves a lot reading and memorisation.
Perhaps more teachers should take a page out of Vulcan Chong Weng Hon’s book. This 25-year-old tuition teacher in Cheras uses contemporary pop songs to make his subject more interesting and easier for his students to digest.
The idea to turn Sejarah syllabus into lyrics of trendy music happened in March last year. His intention was to turn the classroom atmosphere into something high school students will have fun learning. His lessons are then uploaded to his YouTube channel, under the playlist, “Sejarah Melody”.
“Many students do not like Sejarah because it requires the comprehension and memorisation of specific foreign names and complicated story lines. Songs not only help in memorising the details of a historical event but in making the learning process entertaining as well,” Chong told Bernama.
Instead of using the old-fashion method by reading page by page from the textbook, Chong breaks his subjects down to several key points and performs them with an acoustic guitar. For example, his latest video, Form 4 Chapter 1’s “Makna Tamadun” is performed with John Legend’s “All Of Me”. He also has another clip of him singing Bruno Mar’s “Just The Way You Are” while teaching Form 5 Chapter 5’s “Sistem Ahli”.
Since then, more and more students have shown interest in Sejarah. “Many students liked the Sejarah Melody videos because it facilitated the memorisation process, especially before exams. even teachers have downloaded my video and used it as a teaching supplement in the classrooms,” said Chong.
Here’s an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZN0aaLCXjs&t=69s
In case you’re curious, Chong teaches at Pusat Tuisyen Super Education Group in Taman Taynton View, Cheras.
For more of his fun lessons, subscribe to his YouTube channel here.
Sources: Bernama (1)(2), Discover KL.
