SAVING
NATION’S DIALECT FROM BECOMING OBSOLETE
G. Thigambarishini
 |
| speech delivered by Dato’ Dr. Siddiq bin Hj.Fadzil the president of collage DAR al-Hikmah, also a Ph.D. holder in Malay culture and Islamic philosophy |
Dual language programs (DLP) also known as two-way
immersion programs, allow English learners and English proficient students to
receive instruction in English and a target language in the same classroom to
develop academic proficiency in both languages beginning in kindergarten for a
minimum of six years. These program goals of developing communicative and
academic second language proficiency, to develop primary language proficiency,
develop academic achievement in all subject areas and introduce an appreciation
for cultural diversity. The United States teach in English and Spanish,
although increasing numbers of programs use a partner language other than
Spanish, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, or Korean. The idea for Malaysia
to implement this DLP programme for the nation to improve the proficiency of
their English language but facing the lost by having the native language
(Bahasa Melayu) gone with the wind.
Even if English language is, seem to receive
more requirements then the Malay language, and even if it is the most efficient
language around the globe, what worries the people of Malaysia with compulsive
love and passion towards the Bahasa Melayu literature, is that the upcoming
generation will never know about the needs of the native language. Rather just,
learn it for the sake of its part of being a compulsory subject in school.
A native language is a form of identity that
represents ones identity and nation building. In addition, living in a
multiracial and democratic country our lead language is the Bahasa Melayu,
which is a very substantial identity to our country because all races come in
one with this native language. It is not very surprising to see or hear the
Chinese or Indian community being fluent conversing the Bahasa Melayu, in fact
I am rather proud. What more if a foreigner speak the language. That this is
our language even before independence and this language was our predominant
reason to be one and to be harmoniously strong as one.
Dato’ Dr. Siddiq bin Hj.Fadzil the
president of collage DAR al-Hikmah, also a Ph.D. holder in Malay culture and
Islamic philosophy said it well in his speech about science, language and
nation building at the seminar hala tuju
pendidikan Negara 2, “indeed language is part of culture even it is part of
the soul of the nation itself. Language is not just a sound and voice only be
interpreted literally but the voice and will of god revealed love and taste,
vibration and pounding the soul of a nation, that can be captured from the
interpretation of the language is something the voice with which to express the
requirements and purposes means turns language closely related with people who
speak them so it is not only the fact that every word means but more than that
the meaning of culture that includes brilliant insights values and norms of the
people who speak them. Each of them has a cultural meaning and different
contextual meaning as an expression of the values of Malay modesty.”
In addition to that, also commenting upon the DLP
program, Professor Emeritus Shaharir Mohamad Zain, the president of the
abolition movement for the DLP program also spoke at the seminar saying that, “
reason DLP is implemented is to improve English fluency with the so-called
state that is not fluent in English external trading lower but the fact that
the real Vietnam who are not fluent in English foreign trade value is much
higher than ours.” He also said in the early stages of learning to learn in the
mother tongue is easier for students to understand what their students learn in
school is evident when the medium of exchange English to Malay, for example
when the Sijil Pembelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
executed in 1979 graduated from the professional fields among the Malays
increased by more than 30% compared to those who learn the language in the
English medium.
Briefly, to learn a language is to have one more
window from which to look at the world. Those who know many languages live as
many live as the languages they know, even so, a new language is said a new
life. Learn a language and you will avoid war because if you want people to
understand you, speak their language and learn the wisdom and tradition that
resides within that language. Because when you learn a language, it is not just
about the language. It has connection to its ways of tradition and culture.
That is why people say, language defines your inheritance. It does not just
portray the fluency and intelligence, it teaches one to embrace the love and
passion for the knowledge that is been passed down. Every one of us has to be
proud of our native language. It is then we can be dominant of our language.
Our ancestors have died in maintaining freedom for our speech and expressions,
hence it is our duty to use it as widely as possible is a well-mannered way.
Because when we lost our language, we lost our nation. Language represents the
nation.
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