Teachers’ Narratives on The Use of English to Teach Bahasa Melayu as Language Other Than English

Abstract

Internationalization of education has made it even more important to have a good command of English, a global language. Concurrently, a similar trend recently surfaced in research, rivalling English, i.e., Languages other than English (LOTE). Review of the existing literature reveals prolific literature on the roles and functions of first, second, or students’ native language in teaching of English. The question arises whether these findings and theories undergirding these researches are equally applicable, to the teaching of LOTEs. This study explored teachers’ perspective of teaching Bahasa Melayu (Malay language) as a LOTE and the role of English in teaching it. A narrative research design was utilized, with a sample of six Bahasa Melayu teachers from universities in Malaysia, who reported how the use of English enhanced or impeded the delivery of Bahasa Melayu curriculum. The data primarily came from teachers’ semi-structured interviews, and was complemented by field notes, memos, and casual phone calls. Findings showed that teachers’ decisions are mainly influenced by institutional atmosphere, and students’ linguistic and cultural background. Teachers’ stories revealed the importance of English owing to internationalization of education. This study will help LOTE teachers reflect on their own their decision to use English for teaching LOTE.