The Role of Parents in Heritage Language Maintenance in Malaysia

Authors

Seong Lin DING, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of MalayaFollow

Abstract

This present study intends to explore the role of parents in heritage language maintenance among selected Chinese Hakka communities. Field studies were conducted among three age groups spanning three to four generations in Sabah and Sarawak, East Malaysia. The data seem to suggest that changes in family language use started with the parents, when they chose to speak non-heritage language to their children. This eventually not only affected the language use of their children, but also their language proficiency in the heritage language which is Hakka. Evidence indicates that parents indeed play a crucial role in family language practices, and have an impact on the maintenance of heritage language. The preference for and actual use of Mandarin are prevalent among the younger generation. The findings confirm the general trend in Malaysian Chinese society today that current generation has a tendency to reduce the use of their heritage language and adopt Mandarin as their primary language of communication, including in the family domain. However, many young irregular (or infrequent) semi-speakers of Hakka claim the dialect as their mother tongue and continue to speak the dialect, albeit imperfectly. This also demonstrates that Mandarin has yet to become overwhelmingly dominant among the Hakkas.

Recommended Citation

DING, Seong Lin (2016) "The Role of Parents in Heritage Language Maintenance in Malaysia," Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies: Vol. 5: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://mjcs.newera.edu.my/journal/vol5/iss1/2