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Attitudes to English in contemporary Malaysia.

Authors :
Ng, Jia Chi
Diskin‐Holdaway, Chloé
Source :
World Englishes. Sep2023, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p562-578. 17p.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

This article examines the attitudes that Malaysians of different backgrounds hold towards the English language in Malaysia, as well as how they perceive 'Standard Malaysian English' and 'Colloquial Malaysian English', in terms of status and solidarity. The study administered an online questionnaire, which included an embedded matched‐guise experiment, to 77 Malaysian respondents in Malaysia and Australia. Findings indicated a range of divergent and at times contradictory views of Malaysian English, illuminating how Malaysians are in different stages of acceptance of Malaysian English as a legitimate variety of English. Through an examination of individual participant responses, the study also shows that Malaysians are attuned to and hold certain stereotypes towards 'ethnic' varieties or 'ethnolects' of Malaysian English, providing insight into how issues of race and ethnicity, embedded within the broader socio‐political context and language ecology of the nation, have influenced contemporary language attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
08832919
Volume :
42
Issue :
3
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
World Englishes
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
170059939
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12562