Dilemma: Does learning English erode cultural identities? (in a post-colonial school environment)

Evidence from Malaysia suggests the answer is 'no'

If children's socialisation and communication is inseparable from using a language, could learning English, in a post-colonial context, impact students' local cultural identities? A conference paper presented in 2019 suggests otherwise.

In this study, 90 students and 8 teachers from a mix of urban, rural and elite religious secondary schools in Terengganu, Malaysia participated in focus groups and interviews. While the first language in Malaysia is Malay, and Arabic is often taught in religious schools, English is a compulsory second lanuage within modern Malaysian education system policy. English is also used widely in official functions and in politics and therefore has a functional role in Malaysian society.

The research examined claims that learning English and associating with native speakers may erode cultural identities of Muslim students in Malaysia. Only 5 out of 90 students agreed with this, while the remaining 85 believe that learning English does not impact their religious identities. An interesting idea that emerged from the questions about 'self-identity' was the sense of pride that students felt for both speaking English and also for being what they described as 'good moslems' through kind deeds and ways of dressing and behaving. The use of English language was described as one of the positive things that they learnt, and a means for certain types of debates and lectures, but not a cause of cultural confusion. On the other hand, for many students, learning Arabic was seen as positively influential on their cultural and religious identity.

A similar investigation involving 200 university students in Jahangirnagar, Bangladesh revealed that 85% did not believe the language had any impact on lifestyle such as eating and dressing habits. However, 15% of the students believed that learning to speak English impacted students' way of dressing and 7.5% believed that the English language impacted food choices. The role of media in the English language was cited as a reason for this and reflects some of the ways in which young people experience and describe cultural leanings.

 

Reference:

A.T.H b Abdullah et al (2019) "Influence of the English language in shaping Islamic identity among religious secondary school students" in The Second Annual International Conference on Language and Literature, KnE Social Sciences, pages 902-914