Preaching to the converted-The Malay Mail Online
SEPT 24, 2013 — Practically every day there is an opinion column, editorial or a letter published in the English language news media, online or otherwise, bemoaning the drop in standards of English, the deterioration in the quality of English teachers and its impact on the employability of graduates and its eventual impact on economic growth.
However, the only people concerned about this seem to be people who are already able to use the language and thus see its advantages. The question of why there is not more demand for the language from other parents is rarely addressed. They simply cannot understand why, given the apparently blindingly obvious fact of English being the global language of education, research, commerce, the Internet and everything else, some Malaysians refuse to treat its dissemination as important for their children’s future. The only concession made to Bahasa Malaysia (BM) is that it needs to be protected as the language of national unity, but not at the cost of English.
But implicit in this construct is a sense of condescension, as if somehow the hold-outs against English are sowing the seeds of the future doom of their children. On the other hand, enlightened English speakers do all they can to send their kids to international schools, then overseas for tertiary education and back to a more prosperous future in well-paying English-dominated corporate jobs.
There is of course a racial angle to this, as in almost any real debate in Malaysia. The Chinese and to a lesser extent the Indians are in favour of giving more prominence to English, while the Malays are portrayed as being manipulated by right wing politicians as seeing English as a threat not just to BM, but to their religion, their morals, indeed their whole way of life.
While this stereotype, like all others, is only partially true, it serves to undermine the explicit recognition of BM as the language of national unity by portraying it as a language of choice of only the majority community, and learnt only under compulsion by the others. Whatever the role of politicians in all of this, it is reflected in the growing distrust between various communities.
As communities shut their doors to others and congregate only with others of their own race and religion, prejudices come to the fore and are reinforced. A child in a racially homogenous environment at home and school, is the one who will learn prejudice against other kids, making fun of their culture, dietary practices and yes, their language.
The less the assimilation, the greater the fear and distrust. If English is not just a language but a marker of a particular kind of Malaysian, then when that kind of Malaysian is ridiculed, so is the language.
At a larger level the racial quotas and preferences for the majority community promote this kind of thinking. If it is possible and even encouraged to be educated entirely in BM with a smattering of English and then go on and get a job with security for life requiring the same language skills while being surrounded by people who share most of their cultural characteristics, why would their parents want any more English for their kids?
It is not therefore irrational for a lot of parents to ignore English. Ironically, even the Internet might be a contributor to this. Despite the prevalence of English on the Internet, it is entirely possible to use and interact with it entirely in the vernacular. The trend is accelerated when physical spaces are also delineated on racial lines.
The debate over English is merely a result of the underlying malaise of racial division in Malaysian society. Speaking BM at home in a Chinese household, however infrequently or English in a Malay one has much greater significance than the mere act.
Until the current generation can demonstrate that their race, culture, mother tongue and most importantly self-interest are not under threat by mastering both English and BM, expect this impasse to continue.
In a sense, if the majority can learn English and the minority BM simply as a way to gain greater understanding of each other’s hopes and aspirations, rather than for other political and economic reasons, the benefits in all other areas will flow. Best of all, the ability of politicians to manipulate and widen racial divisions will greatly reduce.
Unfortunately, for that to happen it is the politicians who will have to go beyond their immediate self-interest, and their record in this area is less than sterling around the world.
However, the only people concerned about this seem to be people who are already able to use the language and thus see its advantages. The question of why there is not more demand for the language from other parents is rarely addressed. They simply cannot understand why, given the apparently blindingly obvious fact of English being the global language of education, research, commerce, the Internet and everything else, some Malaysians refuse to treat its dissemination as important for their children’s future. The only concession made to Bahasa Malaysia (BM) is that it needs to be protected as the language of national unity, but not at the cost of English.
But implicit in this construct is a sense of condescension, as if somehow the hold-outs against English are sowing the seeds of the future doom of their children. On the other hand, enlightened English speakers do all they can to send their kids to international schools, then overseas for tertiary education and back to a more prosperous future in well-paying English-dominated corporate jobs.
There is of course a racial angle to this, as in almost any real debate in Malaysia. The Chinese and to a lesser extent the Indians are in favour of giving more prominence to English, while the Malays are portrayed as being manipulated by right wing politicians as seeing English as a threat not just to BM, but to their religion, their morals, indeed their whole way of life.
While this stereotype, like all others, is only partially true, it serves to undermine the explicit recognition of BM as the language of national unity by portraying it as a language of choice of only the majority community, and learnt only under compulsion by the others. Whatever the role of politicians in all of this, it is reflected in the growing distrust between various communities.
As communities shut their doors to others and congregate only with others of their own race and religion, prejudices come to the fore and are reinforced. A child in a racially homogenous environment at home and school, is the one who will learn prejudice against other kids, making fun of their culture, dietary practices and yes, their language.
The less the assimilation, the greater the fear and distrust. If English is not just a language but a marker of a particular kind of Malaysian, then when that kind of Malaysian is ridiculed, so is the language.
At a larger level the racial quotas and preferences for the majority community promote this kind of thinking. If it is possible and even encouraged to be educated entirely in BM with a smattering of English and then go on and get a job with security for life requiring the same language skills while being surrounded by people who share most of their cultural characteristics, why would their parents want any more English for their kids?
It is not therefore irrational for a lot of parents to ignore English. Ironically, even the Internet might be a contributor to this. Despite the prevalence of English on the Internet, it is entirely possible to use and interact with it entirely in the vernacular. The trend is accelerated when physical spaces are also delineated on racial lines.
The debate over English is merely a result of the underlying malaise of racial division in Malaysian society. Speaking BM at home in a Chinese household, however infrequently or English in a Malay one has much greater significance than the mere act.
Until the current generation can demonstrate that their race, culture, mother tongue and most importantly self-interest are not under threat by mastering both English and BM, expect this impasse to continue.
In a sense, if the majority can learn English and the minority BM simply as a way to gain greater understanding of each other’s hopes and aspirations, rather than for other political and economic reasons, the benefits in all other areas will flow. Best of all, the ability of politicians to manipulate and widen racial divisions will greatly reduce.
Unfortunately, for that to happen it is the politicians who will have to go beyond their immediate self-interest, and their record in this area is less than sterling around the world.
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