Unifying Role of Malay Language in a Multilingual Nation： A Case of Malaysia  

作　　者：Emeka Cyprian Onwubiko 

机构地区：[1]Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia

出　　处：《US-China Foreign Language》2012年第7期1349-1354,共6页美中外语（英文版）

摘　　要：This paper seeks to elucidate the language policy in Malaysia and how it plays a unifying role. Malay language appears to be foregrounded in Malaysia amidst reservations from other citizens who are not Malay by tribal orientation, who may think that the continuous use of the language as the only official language could likely trigger socio-political crises that may threaten the corporate existence of Malaysia. The thrust of this paper therefore is to examine language policies in a diverse society such as Malaysia and how it affects the three major different ethnic groups, Malays, Chinese, and Indian as speakers of their various languages, and more so, to understand how Malay language serves as the symbol of national unity. The paper concludes that the language policy in Malaysia vis-a-vis its diversity indicate not only how language plays a unifying role but the national attitudes about how language diversity should be handle. Historical research methodology guides this study.

关 键 词：language policy MULTILINGUAL unity IDENTITY MALAY culture 

分 类 号：TP311.52[自动化与计算机技术—计算机软件与理论] Q959.7[自动化与计算机技术—计算机科学与技术]