Ethnic Language Use and Ethnic Identity of University Students in Malaysia

Abstract

The study examined the extent to which ethnic language use is influenced by strength of ethnic identity among university students in Malaysia. In the study, 100 university students from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Indigenous ethnic backgrounds filled in a questionnaire on language use in six domains, and their ethnic identity was measured using Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). English and Malay dominated in the mass media and education domains, and in intergroup and formal interactions, but ethnic languages were mainly used with family, friends and for religious practices. The results showed a moderate level of ethnic language use among the Malay (58.37%) and Chinese participants (59.21%), and a lower level among the Indigenous (49.55%) and Indian participants (42.11%). All four ethnic groups showed a positive ethnic identity. There is a significant positive relationship between the extent of ethnic language use and the strength of ethnic identity.