Comments on: The language question http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/ ... the online home of a librarian in Perth, Western Australia Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:25:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-223 CW Tue, 02 Aug 2005 22:54:10 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-223 It's all so complicated, isn't it? Language, and its affect on our identities, is one of my favourite ruminations.<br/><br/>Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, all! :) It’s all so complicated, isn’t it? Language, and its affect on our identities, is one of my favourite ruminations.

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, all! :)

]]> By: Israd http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-222 Israd Tue, 02 Aug 2005 18:27:09 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-222 I hope your future children do get a chance to learn Chinese be it Cantonese, Hokkien, etc. I would never want to lose the Malay language from mine. Our language is our heritage.<br/><br/>Here in Malaysia, I can't stand to hear Malay parents speaking in English to their small children. I also can't stand to listen to Malay-Malay conversations in English. But I must say I admire the Chinese I eavesdrop on the LRT who speak Chinese with each other. And also those who proudly read a Chinese newspaper, although this is now mainly done by the older generation.<br/><br/>Hmm but the problem is I am also guilty of these things that I can't stand. I hope your future children do get a chance to learn Chinese be it Cantonese, Hokkien, etc. I would never want to lose the Malay language from mine. Our language is our heritage.

Here in Malaysia, I can’t stand to hear Malay parents speaking in English to their small children. I also can’t stand to listen to Malay-Malay conversations in English. But I must say I admire the Chinese I eavesdrop on the LRT who speak Chinese with each other. And also those who proudly read a Chinese newspaper, although this is now mainly done by the older generation.

Hmm but the problem is I am also guilty of these things that I can’t stand.

]]> By: mooiness http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-221 mooiness Tue, 02 Aug 2005 01:28:34 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-221 OMG! You beat me to this story! Hahahah....rats. But you know what, I relate to your story perfectly well. As you'd know, my dad's peranakan - he only speaks English and Hokkien well (why he never picked up Malay I don't know, cos my grandma speaks it perfect). Mom's actually Teochiew as well but like yours got to speaking Hokkien because that was the predominant dialect in Penang. She went to Mandarin school and I'm ever so thankful for it, sent me and my brother to a Mandarin school as well.<br/><br/>On top of that, mom insisted we have English tuition from the age of 6 - hence my mastering of this language *ahem*. And this really helped when we moved here because I wasn't so intimidated by the language barrier. Plus I picked up Cantonese because that was the dominant dialect in KL where I grew up.<br/><br/>Now though I can't read or write perfect Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien I can still converse my way out of many situations and I can enjoy the movies without the subtitles. Well maybe Hokkien ones. :) And because I was exposed to so many Chinese dialects, I have learnt to enjoy the music as well - mostly pop stuff but nonetheless it broaden my musical tastes. OMG! You beat me to this story! Hahahah….rats. But you know what, I relate to your story perfectly well. As you’d know, my dad’s peranakan - he only speaks English and Hokkien well (why he never picked up Malay I don’t know, cos my grandma speaks it perfect). Mom’s actually Teochiew as well but like yours got to speaking Hokkien because that was the predominant dialect in Penang. She went to Mandarin school and I’m ever so thankful for it, sent me and my brother to a Mandarin school as well.

On top of that, mom insisted we have English tuition from the age of 6 - hence my mastering of this language *ahem*. And this really helped when we moved here because I wasn’t so intimidated by the language barrier. Plus I picked up Cantonese because that was the dominant dialect in KL where I grew up.

Now though I can’t read or write perfect Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien I can still converse my way out of many situations and I can enjoy the movies without the subtitles. Well maybe Hokkien ones. :) And because I was exposed to so many Chinese dialects, I have learnt to enjoy the music as well - mostly pop stuff but nonetheless it broaden my musical tastes.

]]> By: cherryripe http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-220 cherryripe Tue, 02 Aug 2005 00:57:21 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/01/the-language-question/#comment-220 Bravo! I've been pondering this issue for a while, too. Having returned to Aus. this year and now working in an office with one Shanghainese, two Hong Kongese and one Taiwanese, i've been asked recently why my English is the way it is, why i don't speak my 'mother tongue', in which case i have to explain that English IS my mother tongue - blah blah blah. It's knackering sometimes. Bravo! I’ve been pondering this issue for a while, too. Having returned to Aus. this year and now working in an office with one Shanghainese, two Hong Kongese and one Taiwanese, i’ve been asked recently why my English is the way it is, why i don’t speak my ‘mother tongue’, in which case i have to explain that English IS my mother tongue - blah blah blah. It’s knackering sometimes.

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