GE6413 LANGUAGE POLICY AND CURRICULUM PLANNING

GE6413 POLISI DAN PERANCANGAN BAHASA:

IMPLIKASINYA
TERHADAP PENGAJARAN BAHASA

Assignment III Take Home Paper

For this assignment, you are to answer all the questions:

1) What are the processes that language planners would have to go through when conducting a
sociolinguistic survey?

2) Describe briefly (1/2 to 2 pages) the current linguistic situation and use in Malaysia. Based on your
description, suggest language policy/policies appropriate for this country.

3) What steps should the Malaysian government take to ensure effective implementation of the suggested
language policy/policies?

This assignment is to be done individually. This assignment must be type-written and one-and-half spacing. It
should be between 5 10 pages excluding the title page. You must adhere closely to the Panduan Menulis
Tesis Gaya UKM. Please submit your written paper by June 12th, 2015.

Introduction

Sociolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and society. Sociolinguistics can help
us understand why we speak differently in various social contexts, and help uncover the social
relationships in a community. For example, you probably wouldn't speak the same to your boss at work
as you would your friends, or speak to strangers as you would to your family. Sociolinguistics may also
wonder whether women and men speak the same as each other. Or why do people the same age or from
the same social class or same ethnicity use similar language? Sociolinguistics attempts to explain all
these questions and more. Ultimately, sociolinguistics is everywhere!
To explain all these questions there are many different micro and macroapproaches of sociolinguistics
such as:

Interactional Sociolinguistics

Variationist Sociolinguistics

Historical sociolinguistics

Dialectology - this is equally similar to the study of different Varieties of English

Discourse Analysis

Conversation Analysis

Language planning and policy

1. General facts about the study of sociolinguistics

There are two approaches to the study of sociolinguistics 'micro' and 'macro'.

Sociolinguistics focuses on 'linguistic performance'.

It is studied in relation to the actual language that is produced and the way it is used in its wider
social context.

As a fairly new discipline areas of inquiry in the past primarily studied language in relation
to 'linguistic competence'.

Micro Sociolinguistics

Macro Sociolinguistics

The social and linguistic influence on specific

Studies about language and communication

linguistic features. They look at individual

more generally. Look at language data on a

differences and the way they are used e.g. the

wider scale which leads to generalisations and

variation between 'singing' and 'singin''. [4]

conclusions to be identified e.g. the choices

made about conversational structure.[4]

Sociolinguistics looks at the relationship between language use and social behaviours.
As mentioned in earlier sections, sociolinguistics is interested in explaining reasons for speaking
differently in different social situations and how language is used to convey a social meaning. Language
is constantly used in spoken and written forms. Behaviour towards language is a concern shared on an
international level by political and educational leaders, as well as the general public, so sociolinguistics is
often seen in the headlines.If sociolinguistics is so prominent in society through our own use of language
and reports of language use, then surely it is a worthy topic of study?
There are endless examples of social behaviour towards language and language users; including Welsh
nationalists covering up English signs along Welsh roads. Sociolinguistics became more applicable to the
interest of the ordinary person in the 1960s when linguists, focusing in the sociolinguistic field, turned
their attention to language variation.

The processes that language planners would have to go through when conducting a sociolinguistic
survey .
Depend on the questions that the survey is trying to answer. Methods used include collecting word lists
(Bender 1971), playing recorded texts to assess comprehension (Casad 1974), sentence repetition tests
(Radloff 1991), questionnaires (Hochstetler and Tillinghast 1996), group and individual interviews,
retelling of stories (McKinnies and Priestly 2004), direct observation (Cooper and Carpenter 1976), and
even internet surveys (tafesilafai.org).
As with any form of research, the methods used depend on the questions that the researchers are trying to
answer. Also, the reliability of the results varies according to the method and the rigor with which it is
applied, proper sampling technique, etc.

Language as a Social Institution:

Language is an essential factor in social life which has a major role in a society. According to
Verghese, The language of any group, people is the major carrier of those groups traditional beliefs and
customs and history.
Therefore sociolinguists see language as a social institution. Language as a social institution
functions at a collective representation. Saussure (1875) has defined language as a social act (in
Durkheims sense) or a social institution. Language as an institution however differs from others in that it
functions at a level or collective representations which unlike individual representation are imposed on

speakers and even dominate them. For him, communication is the primary function of language.
Therefore, language develops more by the need of communication than by any other factor and this need
to encompass all the aspects of life.
As mentioned by Bronckert. Bronckert believes that language in fact is a Concrete institution, it is
a usage, an instrument of communication based on a Covenant: language is based on a primitive contract
agreed to by free men; it adapts to needs, meets new communication needs.. Different languages are
selected for different functions in a society. Halliday defines three basic semantic functions:
interpersonal, ideational and textual functions. These functions respectively deal with social relations
ships of individual identity, and to construct a recognizable and situational appropriate discourse
(communicative competence). The functional component of a language distinguishes it from other
languages.
Stewart has described the seven different societal functions by which a language can be
distinguished.
1. Official: the legally recognized use of language, for example to use the language for education for
government.
2. Group: the use of language by members of an ethnic or cultural group.
3. Literary: the use of language for literacy or school writing.
4. Technical: the use of language for technical and scientific education.
5. Educational: the use of language for educational purposes.
6. Religion: the use of language in connection with religious practices.
7. Wider communication: the use of language for communication across language boundaries (another
term for a language of wider communication is a linguafranca) Looking at the number of functions
performed by the language, the selection of a language in a multilingual society is quite a difficult
phenomenon.

Example In Malaysian besides many languages,are used in peoples daily life.

1. Mother tongue Native language/malay,chinese or tamil
2. National language Bahasa Malaysia.
3. Official language Bahasa Malaysia.
4. Language of mosque Arabic language for prayers and reading of the Quran.
5.Language of hindu temple-Tamil language
6.Language of Chinese temple-Cantonese
In this complex situation language choice for dissemination of information and communication in
Malaysia is of crucial importance in its economic, educational and social development. It requires a
review of language policy and appropriate language planning to promote national development in the age
of information and communication.
Language Planning:
Language planning is a recent branch of sociolinguistic which was discovered in 1960. According to
Krishnamurti, it refers to conscious and organized efforts by the governments, committees and individual
to solve language problems at national level. Although there is a large body of literature on language
planning, but problems of language development are peculiar to individual language groups of language
in different countries and nations. Consequently, no theory has yet been developed with a power to
predict clear solutions under varying conditions.
Definition of Language Planning:
Wardhaugh defines; Language planning is a government authorized long term sustained and conscious
effort to offer a language functions in a society for the purpose of solving communication. A language
which can be used as a common means of communication, it is in fact a medium of inter communication
to overcome the diversity of different mother tongues to have smooth functioning of the institutions and
consistent development of the nation; It is the responsibility of the government to take into account all

available resources and make bold decisions. According to Rubin and Jernudd Language Planning is
deliberate language change which is based on the identification of the language.
Language problems and issues need to be addressed quickly; it is not possible to rely on the slow
course natural linguistic evolution to resolve various conflicting language issues but it is quite possible to
change the course of language consciously to meet the social, political, religious and the educational
factors. The Linguist Einar Haugen has defined the term Language Planning as, The activity of
preparing a normative orthography, grammar and diction for the guidance of writer and speakers in a
non-homogeneous speech community
This is of course a practical application of linguistic knowledge. Its planning implies an attempt to
guide the development of a language in a specific direction by the 210 planners. Pragmatics and
judgment must be exercised while making choice among the available linguistic forms. Moreover,
planners should make deliberate effort to influence and seek the desired results.

Importance of Language Planning:

Language planning is important because the selection of a language portrays peoples identity. It is the
image and reflection of their culture, tradition and heritage. According to Crystal, More than anything
else language shows we belong; providing the most natural badge, a symbol of public and private
identity. 11 In more specific terms he says that language can become a source of displeasure, pride,
anxiety, offense, anger and even violence.
Power of Language Planning
In terms of language planning, Tollefson cited by London argues that power is the ability to achieve
ones goal and to control ones events through intentional action. It is not a characteristic of individuals
isolation, but instead individuals exercise power and as a result of their relationship within their
institutional structures that provide meaning to their actions and also constrain them. There is a dynamic
relationship between structure and power which is fundamental to both individual action and social
organization. Foucalt contends that power does not emanate from some central or hierarchical structure

but rather that it flows through society in a sort of capillary action. However, Rodney, quoted by
London, contends that people who are the victim of it devise their own ways of controlling their daily
lives and improve their stock of power from time to time depending on the organizational circumstances.
In a way it suggests that individuals are like vehicles of power; not its point of application.
Kinds of Planning
Cooper has identified three major types of language planning: Status planning, corpus planning and
acquisition planning. Although all three are interlinked yet they address a different social issue. Status
planning is linked to the official recognition which national governments attach to various languages
especially in case of minority languages and to authoritative attempts to extend or restrict language use in
various contexts----. It includes issues like designation.
If the language(s) of instruction in schools and decisions regarding whether and in which languages
ballots may be used. Corpus, planning involves activities such as coining news terms, reforming
spellings, and modification of old ones, or the selection from alternative forms in a spoken or written
code Cooper proposes a third major type of language planning, language acquisition planning, which
follows from this definition: Language policy-making involves decisions concerning the teaching and use
of language, and their careful formulation by those empowered to do so, for the guidance of others. 16
The impacts of language planning are multidimensional.
In countries where hundreds of languages are spoken, they face a very complex situation for the
selection of the official or national language, because the decision to impose a certain language would
lead to gain or loss of the status of language. For example as I see, that in India which is a linguistically
and culturally pluralistic society, about 1064 languages are spoken. Therefore, the selection of a language
was impossible. However the Three Language Formula was developed to save the country from
conflicting situation. Though it is a compromise between the demands of the various pressure groups by
designating Hindi and English as an official language, the government has saved the country from a 212
language controversy.
The current linguistic situation and use in Malaysia

English is an indispensable language in these countries. It is not only used for communication but
also for other purposes. According to Baskaran, English is referred to as a link language in Kenya and
Nigeria, an associate official language in India, an additional language in Ghana, a bridge language in
Singapore, a coordinate language in the Philippines and a strong second language in Malaysia (1985, p.
69). Asmah (1977) claims that the function of English was first as an official language and then as a
second language.
She also claims that the languages in Malaysia for instance, the Chinese dialects and Indian
languages are not foreign languages but are considered as the languages of Malaysia. Nevertheless,
English had never been referred to as one of the Malaysian languages. English is only accepted as a
second language, secondary importance in the ranking of languages of Malaysia. Malaysia was under the
British rule from the late eighteenth until the mid-twentieth centuries. The colonisation included both
Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). The British administration policies
(economic and politics) created a network of multi-ethnic, multilingual speech communities via
immigration of Chinese and Indian (Platt & Weber, 1980, pp. 1-2). The Malay population which was
pre-existent here was governed by state governments headed by Sultans.
When, then, the Federation of Malaya got its independence in 1957, Malay was adopted as the
national language. Though Malay was taken as politically and constitutionally the national language,
English was not discarded. The importance of English in Malaya as a legacy of the colonial era was due
to: 1) Its position as the only language in post-World War II Malaya that had appropriate registers for the
myriad language domains of a modern nation. 2) The availability in Malaya of the English educated interethnic elites as the only non-Europeans who had the training and experience to administer the new nation
(Platt & Weber, 1980). It was agreed then, that Malay and English would be used for a ten year transition
period. During these ten years Malay was to enhance and assume prominence in the major domains of
language use (Platt & Weber, 1980).
After 1967 no official status was given to English (Asmah, 1981). There were more serious steps
taken to strengthen the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu/Bahasa Malaysia) as the national language. In
1969, the Ministry of Education initiated a policy whereby all English-medium schools were to become
Malay-medium, a process which was virtually completed nationwide by 1983 at the primary and

secondary levels. Malay-medium instruction at the tertiary level has increased in recent years (nearly
100% usage in most faculties).
In recent years the English language has been viewed as an asset to achieve development and to
acquire knowledge. There is more emphasis on how to create awareness to take English seriously. More
English teachers are trained locally as well as abroad. The standard of the SPM English paper has been
upgraded to coordinate with 1119 GCE English paper. Lowenberg (1991, p. 367) states that the current
status of English in Malaysia is constantly developing and changing in terms of adapting the norms of
English to the political, economic and socio-cultural contexts of contemporary Malaysia. The
importance to acquire this language is again and again stressed by leaders and policy makers. Even then
this is backed with the assurance that this language policy will not threaten the national language
(Anthonysamy, 1997).
According to Gill (2002), the development of English can be classified under two phases; the
liberation and expansion phase and the linguistic pragmatism phase. In Malaysia, the liberation and
expansion phase is where the English language has gone through the nativisation processes and the
utilisation of the language for specific purposes namely international communications. The linguistic
pragmatism phase is related to 1990 and current events. This period is marked due to a distinctive change
in policy, rhetoric and tenor from one who relegated English to less importance to another who marked it
as indispensable. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia claimed that in
order to compete with the advanced countries, Malaysians and the other Asian nationalities still have a
long way to go.

The Status of English in Malaysia

Recently (NST 7, April 2011; cited in Thirusanku & Melor, 2012, p. 11), among the Asian countries
where English is not the mother tongue, Malaysia was ranked with the highest English proficiency level.
According to the EF EPI (Education First, English Proficiency Index), which is a global education centre
that specialises in academic degrees, educational travel, cultural exchange and language training,
Malaysia came out first followed by Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. The Asian countries were rated
at five different proficiency levels; very high, high, moderate, low and very low. The report which was

released on March 30 revealed that Malaysia was the only Asian country rated with a high English
proficiency level.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Education Minister said the Fulbright programme for fun learning
is an agreement between the United States and the Malaysian Government. With the implementation of
this programme, the English proficiency level among students could be improved. The implementation of
a similar programme in the state of Terengganu showed successful results. By 2012, 50 scholars would
start under the first phase. Based on this programme, the American scholars would volunteer to assist in
teaching the language. Since there are already teachers assigned to teach the English subject, the scholars
will instead teach fun related English activities to encourage students to speak in English during school
hours. This Fulbright programme differs from the Master Teachers programme between
Malaysia and UK where the Master Teachers guide the Malaysian teachers who teach subjects related

to English. These Master Teachers will go to schools to assist teachers for a week or more on areas to
improve the method of teaching in order to improve the language. The Education Ministry is to introduce
the To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and to Strengthen the English language (MBMMBI) policy in 2012.
Brightons teaching English Language & Literacy (TELL) programme deploys 120 English
language experts from around the world to mentor and coach approximately 2200 primary school English
language teachers. They are based in 600 rural schools in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Negeri
Sembilan, Melaka and Johor. The company has also established its English Language Centres, which are
rooms within schools dedicated to the teaching and learning of the English language (The Sun 3, July
2012). The British Council reports that the increasing recognition of English as necessary for good career
prospects in Malaysia has led to a 10% increase in registration on part-time evening English language
courses in the centre (The Sun 22, March 2012).
Government was committed to promoting the use of English in schools to ensure the people had a
better command of the language. He also mentioned that since English is widely used internationally,
there is little choice but to encourage every child to be bilingually proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and
English (NST 9, March 2013). The transformation of the education curriculum in the Malaysia Education
Development Plan (PPPM) 2013-2025 focuses on the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) concept
which aims to produce knowledgeable students who are critical and creative in their thinking and can
compete at the international level. HOTS are skills which would equip students with the ability to apply,

analyse, evaluate and think creatively in and outside the classroom. It is aimed at producing a generation
of Malaysians who are knowledgeable, have good leadership qualities, are multi-lingual and have strong
moral and religious values, qualities which would enable them to compete at the global level (NST 30,
January 2014, p. 7). These are some of the many steps taken to improve the standard of English in
Malaysia and the education system in general. This clearly shows that the English language is given
importance lately.
Steps taken by The Malaysian Government.
The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 has set clear targets that need to be achieved in terms of
quality, equity and access within 13 years. The Blueprint is the result of a multitude of analyses,
interviews, surveys, and research conducted with the support of national and international education
experts, officials, teachers, principals, and parents all across Malaysia. In addition, through the National
Dialogue conducted earlier this year, almost 12,000 members of the public and various stakeholder
groups were consulted for their ideas and feedback.
System aspirations there are five outcomes that this Blueprint aspires to for the Malaysian education
system as a whole: access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency.
1.Access: Every Malaysian child deserves equal access to an education that will enable that child to
achieve his or her potential.
2. Quality: All children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education that is uniquely
Malaysian and comparable to the best international systems.
3. Equity: Top-performing school systems deliver the best possible education for every child, regardless
of geography, gender, or socioeconomic background.
4. Unity: As students spend over a quarter of their time in school from the ages of 7 t0 17, schools are in a
key position to foster unity.
5.Efficiency: The Malaysian education system has always been well-funded, yet improvements in student
outcomes have not always matched the resources channelled into the system.

The Ministry of Education aims to develop students who are proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and the
English language, and who are encouraged to learn an additional language. Measures taken will include:
1. Implementing a new KSSR Bahasa Malaysia curriculum for students whose mother tongue is not
Bahasa Malaysia in national-type schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK);
2.Introducing LINUS 2.0 with an expanded scope to address English language literacy;
3. Strengthening the delivery of English language lessons, for example, via the Oral Proficiency in
English language for Secondary School (OPS English) Programme or through a set system of teaching
and learning where students are grouped based on their proficiency levels;
4.Intensifying testing and upskilling of all English language subject teachers based on the Cambridge
Placement Test and the Aptis Test
5.Testing and upskilling of Bahasa Malaysia subject teachers focusing on National-type schools;
6.Introducing Bahasa Malaysia and English language remedial interventions and support programmes for
students who do not meet the required proficiency level;
7.Making it compulsory for students to pass the English language subject paper at SPM from 2016; and
providing access to learning an additional language at primary and secondary level.
The provision for the teaching of other languages besides Bahasa Malaysia and English language
is relatively good. Approximately 20% of primary school students attend National-type schools with
instruction in either Chinese language or Tamil and an additional 2% attend religious schools with some
instruction in Arabic. As per the Pupils Own Language Policy, all government schools are required to
offer mother tongue language as a taught subject when at least 15 students request it. Under the KSSR,
every child may also choose to learn an additional language depending on availability of teachers.
Currently, 15% of students pass the optional Chinese language, Tamil or Arabic papers at SPM.
Steps or Policy to overcome problems in Malaysian Education .

What is an education? According to Oxford dictionary, an education is the process of receiving or giving
systematic instruction. Based on this statement, it sounds like the engagement is either by learning and
teaching an instruction given by teachers. Would it be good enough for the students? How can this
approach help the students to handle difficult situation in the future? The learning process in the
classroom is never enough for the students anymore. It takes more than academia to survive in such a
stressful working environment. In Malaysia, the education system is indeed facing problems in producing
competent graduates to face this gruesome and depressing challenging working world. What are the
possible problems that caused such a bad system? What can be done to create a better education system?

Students Are Too Exam-oriented

The problem of education system in Malaysia is that the students are too exam-oriented. Due to societal
pressure, the result is the sole indicator of determining your performance in the school. For
many innocent students in Malaysia, education means scoring the test papers, acquiring more knowledge
for the exam, and of course, aiming for higher number of As! There is a misconception that higher
number of As indicates the person is smarter. For example, parents and relatives like to compare their
own children with the number of As in result slip or how much salary they can make per month.
Instead, the education policy should emphasis to create Jack-of-all-trades students in which utilize their
talents by being productive in their fields.
Students Lack Leadership Skills
Another problem I see within most students in Malaysia is they lack of leadership element. It may sound
clich, but it is crucial to possess this a must element in every student. This element cannot be acquired
through class unless the leadership role is taken by the student.
This is why the roles of class monitor, secretary and treasurer exist even in primary school. However,
how many students are able to take these roles? Not so many. Based on my experience, there should be

more activities small groups to enable students to take turn in becoming leaders to present on coordinate
their activities.
Students Not Good in English
Have you ever heard of teacher-centered learning? It is where the teachers would talk and the students
would listen. This kind of approach has made students who can read and write well, but could not
communicate with people around them. This problem usually happens to the people learning second
language (eg. English). The education system usually taught students to read and write first before they
start to talk. This approach is actually very bad. Have you ever wondered why you can speak your native
language (Malay, Tamil, or Mandarin) so well? This is because you use the language in most
conversation.
I hope the new education blue print would focus more on student centered learning. Relax education for
first 3 years. From Primary 1 to Primary 3 school should be about fun and learning through fun. Books
and exams should be outlawed at these classes. Psychological studies have shown that ages 5-9 is the
formative age of a person's character so this is the time where teachers should emphasise character
building education techniques.
Make IT based education a core pillar of the educational system.

Conclusion
Based on these realities, an appropriate approach and teaching materials have to be selected. It is
important to select what is appropriate and suitable for our learners. Therefore, a pragmatic approach
would be the best choice to produce students who are proficient in the language. Gill (1994) suggests that
we adopt the exonormative norms and adapt according to our situation. Thus, the government should
guide our teachers to perform better based on an endonormative model instead of spending money on
foreign teachers and an appropriate learning theory relevant to our students, preferably the constructivist
approach.

According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing,
to mediate their social environments. Thus, with the Standard Malaysian English, our students will be
able to mediate well with their social environments as the Standard Malaysian English itself has cultural
related elements which will enable the learners to communicate their needs conveniently and
appropriately. Unity, a vital component in Malaysias truly unique social context, is a key factor in
realising a society of balanced and harmonious individuals as envisioned in the National Education
Philosophy.
There is a strong influence of the national language or Bahasa Malaysia over the learning of
English among Malaysian learners. The teaching of English in our classrooms that emphasizes rotelearning and the mastery of specific language skills that are then tested via examinations should be
revised. A language curriculum that advances on inclusive, learning-by-doing experiences would
encourage a more meaningful learning. An improved English language curriculum that operates on
reflective learning pedagogy would encourage learners to become independent and critical language
learners, in line with the current trends in language learning. Exposure to the language and opportunities
to use the language should be increased. Conducive English language environment should be created.
The use of the language should be increased as language is a tool, a skill to be acquired for
communication, not a subject to be mastered or a set of rules to be memorized.

References
http://prr.hec.gov.pk/Chapters/415S-6.pdf
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED104170.pdf
https://sites.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/all-about-linguistics/branches/sociolinguistics/exampleresearch---jenny-cheshire
https://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/ellooiby/upholdingstandards-vincentooi.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/2433514/Malaysian_English_From_the_old_to_the_new
http://www.recom.org/forum/showthread.php?7544-How-to-improve-Malaysia-s-primary-andsecondary-education-system

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National University of Malaysia, UKM, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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Malaysia GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 12(1). Nunan, D. (2003).

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Fragments of a Vision: A Case Study of the Implementation of an English Language Curriculum
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Anon. (1999). Mahathir Mohamad. The Sun.

Anon. (2011). Najib proud of Malaysias English proficiency. New Straits Times, 8.
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Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia. (2011). Benefits of MBMMBI: Capable of producing generation fluent
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