Ways to Minimize the Influence of L1 (Bahasa Melayu) Into L2 (English) Tenses Writing among Form 2 Secondary School Students in Ipoh

Writing in English language is one of the most challenging skills faced by English language learners in Malaysia especially if they do not have a good proficiency in the language. This study seeks to identify ways to minimize the influence of L1 (Bahasa Melayu) into L2 (English) tenses writing. The data collection instrument was interview. To execute the study 8 students were interviewed from a public school in Ipoh.  This study also discovered that the majority of the methods recommended by the students were cognitive in nature such as listening to songs, and using PowerPoint slides were the most popularly mentioned in the interview session. This study will help educators, students, curriculum coordinators, and decision-makers create the most engaging curriculum possible using effective teaching methods, especially for English language beginners.