Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English

Native-like English use is often considered the standard to be achieved, in contrast to nonnative English use. Nonetheless, localised English varieties abound in many societies and the growth or decline of any language variety commonly depends on how it is perceived; for instance, as a mere tool...

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Main Authors:	Tan, Debbita Ai Lin, Lee, Bee Choo, Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma, Malini Ganapathy
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018
Online Access:	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/1/19865-76269-1-PB.pdf

id	ukm-13772
recordtype	eprints
spelling	ukm-137722019-12-09T23:07:30Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/ Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English Tan, Debbita Ai Lin Lee, Bee Choo Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma, Malini Ganapathy, Native-like English use is often considered the standard to be achieved, in contrast to nonnative English use. Nonetheless, localised English varieties abound in many societies and the growth or decline of any language variety commonly depends on how it is perceived; for instance, as a mere tool for functionality or as a prized cultural badge, and only its users can offer us insights into this. The thrust of the present study falls in line with the concept of language vitality, which is basically concerned with the sustainability of non-global languages. This paper first explores the subject of localisation and English varieties, and then examines the attitudes of Malaysian undergraduates towards their English pronunciation and accent, as well as their perceptions of Malaysian English. A 26-item questionnaire created by the researchers was utilised to collect data. It was also tested for reliability, with returned values indicating good internal consistency for all constructs, making the instrument a reliable option for use in future studies. A total of 253 undergraduates from a public university responded to the questionnaire and results revealed that overall, the participants valued their local-accented English and the functionality of Malaysian English, but regarded this form of the language as substandard. They also considered it important for Malaysians to achieve native-like English use, particularly for the attainment of better educational and economic prospects. These findings provide direction for educational policy-planning as well as English language teaching, and are of relevance to research on English varieties, including the preservation of linguistic heritage. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018-05 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/1/19865-76269-1-PB.pdf Tan, Debbita Ai Lin and Lee, Bee Choo and Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma, and Malini Ganapathy, (2018) Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English. GEMA: Online Journal of Language Studies, 18 (2). pp. 80-92. ISSN 1675-8021 http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1087
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
building	UKM Institutional Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
description	Native-like English use is often considered the standard to be achieved, in contrast to nonnative English use. Nonetheless, localised English varieties abound in many societies and the growth or decline of any language variety commonly depends on how it is perceived; for instance, as a mere tool for functionality or as a prized cultural badge, and only its users can offer us insights into this. The thrust of the present study falls in line with the concept of language vitality, which is basically concerned with the sustainability of non-global languages. This paper first explores the subject of localisation and English varieties, and then examines the attitudes of Malaysian undergraduates towards their English pronunciation and accent, as well as their perceptions of Malaysian English. A 26-item questionnaire created by the researchers was utilised to collect data. It was also tested for reliability, with returned values indicating good internal consistency for all constructs, making the instrument a reliable option for use in future studies. A total of 253 undergraduates from a public university responded to the questionnaire and results revealed that overall, the participants valued their local-accented English and the functionality of Malaysian English, but regarded this form of the language as substandard. They also considered it important for Malaysians to achieve native-like English use, particularly for the attainment of better educational and economic prospects. These findings provide direction for educational policy-planning as well as English language teaching, and are of relevance to research on English varieties, including the preservation of linguistic heritage.
format	Article
author	Tan, Debbita Ai Lin Lee, Bee Choo Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma, Malini Ganapathy,
spellingShingle	Tan, Debbita Ai Lin Lee, Bee Choo Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma, Malini Ganapathy, Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English
author_facet	Tan, Debbita Ai Lin Lee, Bee Choo Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma, Malini Ganapathy,
author_sort	Tan, Debbita Ai Lin
title	Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English
title_short	Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English
title_full	Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English
title_fullStr	Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English
title_full_unstemmed	Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English
title_sort	like that lah: malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised english
publisher	Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
publishDate	2018
url	http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/13772/1/19865-76269-1-PB.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T20:05:36Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T20:05:36Z
_version_	1777407137093255168

Like that Lah: Malaysian undergraduates’ attitudes towards localised English

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