Competing Roles of the National Language and English in Malaysia and the Philippines: Planning, Policy and Use

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of language planning and language policy in the competing roles of the national language and English in the educational system of Malaysia and the Philippines. These countries have emphasised the national language (i.e. Malay in Malaysia and Filipino in the Philippines) to foster national unity, and the international language-English for global communication. Educational expansion as documented with globalisation has also repositioned the role of the English language. While English has become a necessary tool to increase competitiveness in the global market, calls to 'switch back' or 'retain' the national language to instil a sense of national unity has also been equally advocated. Although planning and policy may have specific objectives, these may not be reflected in actual language use. The findings of this study reveal the social reality of contrasting language planning and policy initiatives in Malaysia and the Philippines and the actual use of these languages.

Nation Building, English as an International Language, Medium of Instruction, and Language Debate: Malaysia and Possible Ways Forward

“…In this regard, we argue that English should be given a more stable and strategic status alongside Malay as the national language to formally recognise the role of English in aiding the development of the nation, as argued by many scholars, including Hashim (2009), Dumanig, David, and Symaco (2012) and Ali (2013). This recognition also echoes Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed's strategic view on nationalism/patriotism discussed earlier (i.e.…”

“…The advent of globalisation has contributed to making English a necessity for international communication, and this has highlighted the need for nation-states to preserve national identity to distinguish themselves against each other, as recently noted by scholars working in Malaysia, including Dumanig, David, and Symaco (2012). While the mastery of English enables Malaysia to achieve a cosmopolitan identity (Dumanig, David, & Symaco, 2012) and much more, the act of upholding and elevating the status of Bahasa Malaysia beyond its role as the national language could be regarded as a strategic move to redirect the purpose and importance of using Bahasa Malaysia. Despite the high cultural capital of English, Bahasa Malaysia will always remain relevant to the Malaysian society if it manages to successfully establish itself as the "the main language of communication, language of knowledge, and the language for nation-building" (Ministry of Education, 2010).…”

“…Gill (2006, p. 88) noted that the government would not have instituted such a change if it had not been necessary for the progress and development of the Malays. In Malaysia, language policy and planning processes are often 'top-down' processes where people of power and authority make decisions with little or no consultation with the ultimate language learners and users (Kaplan & Baldauf cited in Gill, 2006;Dumanig, David and Symaco, 2012) and must usually be discussed in the context of politics (Karchner-Ober, Mukherjee, and David, 2011). This policy change, however, was even less consultatitve in that it was simply announced through the media by the then Prime Minister nation BuiLding, engLish as an internationaL Language, MediuM of instruction, and Language deBate (PM) Dr. Mahathir (Gill, 2007).…”

Measuring English Grammar Test: A Rasch Analysis Approach

“…The learning of the language continues in their secondary schools in which they are exposed to another five years of learning English. English is accepted as the second language, that is second importance in the ranking of languages in Malaysia (Asmah, 1976;Dumanig, David, & Symaco, 2017).…”

Exploring ESL Lecturers' Perspectives on The English Preparatory Course Under The MDAB Programme

“…Moreover, the use of English plays a crucial role in employment for the twenty-first century workforce (Erling et al, 2012). It is supported by Dumanig, David and Symaco (2012) who added that the demand for the English language is expected by various stakeholders given that its acquisition would mean better opportunities for securing a job, both locally and overseas. They further elucidated that Malaysian graduates were found to be unable to procure jobs because of their limited English language skills.…”