Talks on Asian Languages

Comparing Language Policies in Malay-speaking Countries: From Colonial to Political Will and Constraints
by Jérôme Samuel
Director, Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia

About the Lecture:

The Talks on Asian Languages (TAL) Series serves as an avenue for the faculty members and alumni of the UP Department of Linguistics, including colleagues from other institutions teaching Asian languages, to share their research about second language learning and acquisition. Each lecture will focus on how linguistics and pedagogical trends can be employed and adapted to fit the learning needs of Filipino students.

Abstract:

Malay is one of the major languages of Southeast Asia. Established as a national language in four countries, it is also spoken in two others. This situation is rooted in an age-old lingua franca reality. All these states, whose societies are multilingual, have developed highly diverse policies, which reflect the diversity of situations, both past and present, in which each independent state developed its own narrative and its own ideology. My talk will present these narratives, ideologies and policies, underlining the importance of colonial legacies. Finally, I will look at the possibility of Malay playing a greater role in the region and within ASEAN.