Malaysia MOST Proficient In English!!!!

[surayahamdan]

Originally Posted by yanno_yamster

The thing is, English is the current global language. So, ideas and thoughts can reach a wider range of audience if it's in English, hence the emphasis on being proficient in English.

I can write something stupid in English and it will reach wider range of audience.

Or I can write Nagarakretagama and have people spending their next 30 minutes Googling and reading about it.

[yanno_yamster]

Originally Posted by surayahamdan

I can write something stupid in English and it will reach wider range of audience.

Exactly, since it's in English more readers around the globe will know what you've written is stupid, straight from the original source. If you wrote it in a local language instead your message will only circulate within your community until someone bothers to translate it and recirculate the message. However, I'm not saying that English is superior to other languages, it's just more convenient.

[surayahamdan]

Originally Posted by yanno_yamster

Exactly, since it's in English more readers around the globe will know what you've written is stupid, straight from the original source. If you wrote it in a local language instead your message will only circulate within your community until someone bothers to translate it and recirculate the message. However, I'm not saying that English is superior to other languages, it's just more convenient.

You're missing the point there. Too much emphasis on a single language just because it is more widely spoken, lead us to ignore brilliant pieces like the Nagarakretagama. The trend nowadays is people would see something as of lesser value if it was not written English.

[yanno_yamster]

Originally Posted by surayahamdan

You're missing the point there. Too much emphasis on a single language just because it is more widely spoken, lead us to ignore brilliant pieces like the Nagarakretagama. The trend nowadays is people would see something as of lesser value if it was not written English.

Are you sure they're ignored? If they're ignored how come you can even manage to Google them with results in English in the first place?

[surayahamdan]

Well, not everyone apparently. I'm not sure where you're going with that.

[day_dreamer]

Originally Posted by youngyew

While it's a good pat on our back, do note that the result is about *non-native speaking* Asian countries. A lot of Malaysians nowadays are from English speaking background so this notion of non-native speaking status is in doubt, especially judging from the fact that Singapore is not even included in this study.

The result is about *non-native speaking* Asian countries, do note that it doesn't mean that we are the best in Asia. There are many more countries in Asia with stronger command of English than us, including Singapore, Philippines, India and some small states in the Middle East.

Don't be proud, be humble and learn more from the rest. Long gone the days when we are the Elite of Asia. WE ARE ON A SERIOUS DECLINE so WAKE UP YOUR MIND.

[yanno_yamster]

Originally Posted by surayahamdan

Well, not everyone apparently. I'm not sure where you're going with that.

Before I reply you let me quote an article from http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/lingua-franca.html:

"Even if you expect the majority of your readers to understand your native language, you may be tempted to use English when writing e.g. about research work. Usually researchers all over the world know English and use it a lot, and often the relevant terminology is more stable and well-known in English than in your own language. Thus, to maximize the number of interested people that can understand your text, you often select English even if the great majority of your readers have the same native language as you."

^This is exactly what ReCom is doing right now.

Alright, now back to you. What I'm trying to say is a lingua franca will not cause us to completely ignore literatures of other languages. Lingua franca ≠ rendering other languages obsolete. On the contrary, it initiates cultural exchange because there's a common language!

Also, I believe more people will be interested in delving into the original form of the literature if they can first access the English translation. The easiest example would be Japanese anime/manga. If not for the English translations there wouldn't be an anime/manga boom all over the world followed by the surge of interest in Japanese culture.

Even if Mandarin becomes the next lingua franca the only things that'll be different are international relations will primarily use Mandarin and there will be far more materials written in or translated into Chinese due to, again, convenience and reaching a wider audience. So if that happens will you start saying Mandarin is causing us to ignore English literature? I doubt so. As long as other languages still have a strong number of users, the lingua franca can never entirely wipe them out. Never forget that one can be proficient in both the lingua franca and his native language... Anyway, since English is in fact the current global language it's highly encouraged to be proficient in it.

[Cactus]

Originally Posted by yanno_yamster

Even if Mandarin becomes the next lingua franca the only things that'll be different are international relations will primarily use Mandarin and there will be far more materials written in or translated into Chinese due to, again, convenience and reaching a wider audience. So if that happens will you start saying Mandarin is causing us to ignore English literature? I doubt so. As long as other languages still have a strong number of users, the lingua franca can never entirely wipe them out. Never forget that one can be proficient in both the lingua franca and his native language... Anyway, since English is in fact the current global language it's highly encouraged to be proficient in it.

Yes it does. Mastering a "international language" means adapting to the culture and value system originated from countries at which the "international language" is native.

A lot of people like to suggest that language is "just a tool", when it clearly is not. There is a cultural aspect to every language.

[yanno_yamster]

Originally Posted by Cactus

Yes it does. Mastering a "international language" means adapting to the culture and value system originated from countries at which the "international language" is native.

A lot of people like to suggest that language is "just a tool", when it clearly is not. There is a cultural aspect to every language.

Interestingly, English has been assimilated into various cultures, not the other way round. That's why you get Singlish, Manglish, Creole, etc. As Larry Smith said, "English belongs to any country that uses it... English belongs to the world and every nation which uses it, even if it does so with a different tone, colour, and quality."

So far, most if not all lingua francas have this flaw of having the potential to be a culture invader. Not surprising though, for the reason a language becomes a lingua franca is due to its country of origin having the greatest influence in world economy and politics at that time. Other countries will start adopting its language for diplomatic relations purposes with this country. Then slowly but surely the academic world and the society in general will also adopt this language. Hence the language becomes a global language.

But this flaw can be overcome. If our national identity is already strong, why fear being proficient in a foreign language? If I can abandon my culture just because I learn a foreign language does that mean if I learn French I will not be culturally Malaysian anymore? The government seems to lack emphasis on English because they claim that they want to "memperkasakan" Bahasa Melayu. But why is it weak in the first place?

[Cronspoor]

Hello. peace bro