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Introduction: understanding language management and multilingualism in Malaysia

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Published/Copyright: January 31, 2017
International Journal of the Sociology of Language
From the journal International Journal of the Sociology of Language Volume 2017 Issue 244

Abstract

This article introduces multilingualism in Malaysia and examines how the language management of the multilingual society there is challenged by interactions among global, regional, national, and local language orders. These orders and their interactions give rise to various language ideologies, which are struggling to maintain a hierarchy of their respective choice. From this perspective, this introductory article reviews the seven contributions in this issue and analyzes the impact of conflicting language ideologies on language policies, use, maintenance and development in families and communities in Malaysia. The analysis suggests that in Malaysia global and regional language orders have significantly influenced the national and local language orders while the national order has a relatively weak impact on the local language order. Malaysia’s diverse and sometimes conflicting language ideologies reflect the existing language orders and support them. The combination of the existing language orders and ideologies seems to be a perfect fit for unity in diversity regarding nation-building, but it is not necessarily a fit for diversity in unity in Malaysia. The lesson from the Malaysian experience is that language management and nation-building have to take full consideration of the interaction among global, regional, and national language orders within the communities involved.

Keywords: language ideology; language order; nation-building; language policy; multilingualism

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Published Online: 2017-1-31
Published in Print: 2017-3-1

©2017 by De Gruyter Mouton

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  3. Introduction: understanding language management and multilingualism in Malaysia
  4. Language planning for Malay in Malaysia: A case of failure or success?
  5. When blinkers come off: Undergraduate students’ performance at simulated job interviews
  6. Malaysian Mandarin variation with regard to Mandarin globalization trend: Issues on language standardization
  7. Family language policy by Hakkas in Balik Pulau, Penang
  8. Indigenous language development in East Malaysia
  9. Language vitality among the Orang Asli of Malaysia: the case of the Mah Meri on Telo’ Gunjeng (Carey Island, Selangor)
  10. Thirty years of French language planning in Malaysia: From individual attempt to national strength
https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2016-0054
Keywords for this article
language ideology; language order; nation-building; language policy; multilingualism

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  3. Introduction: understanding language management and multilingualism in Malaysia
  4. Language planning for Malay in Malaysia: A case of failure or success?
  5. When blinkers come off: Undergraduate students’ performance at simulated job interviews
  6. Malaysian Mandarin variation with regard to Mandarin globalization trend: Issues on language standardization
  7. Family language policy by Hakkas in Balik Pulau, Penang
  8. Indigenous language development in East Malaysia
  9. Language vitality among the Orang Asli of Malaysia: the case of the Mah Meri on Telo’ Gunjeng (Carey Island, Selangor)
  10. Thirty years of French language planning in Malaysia: From individual attempt to national strength
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