More Malaysians are learning Mandarin, even as Chinese schools struggle for recognition
- More than 500,000 pupils, including non-Chinese children, attend Chinese schools each year, even though their education is not recognised by the government
- Detractors in the Malay-majority country believe validating Chinese education would put national unity and the national language at risk
When Asmah Zainal, 34, enrolled her son at a Chinese-medium primary school, the Malaysian homemaker began attending Mandarin classes herself.
If she became fluent, she could more effectively help him with his homework and answer study-related questions, she reasoned.
“I also wanted him to know that he is not doing this extra language alone,” Asmah said. “Most importantly, I wanted to create a learning environment for him so that he will feel motivated to learn Mandarin every day.”
Like many Malaysians, Asmah and her son are bilingual, speaking English and Bahasa Malaysia fluently. But they are also among an increasing number of people – particularly those of non-Chinese ethnicity – taking up Mandarin as a third language.
For Asmah, this is driven by the hope it would improve her child’s future career prospects.
“Mandarin is one of the most required languages when you are seeking a job,” she said. “If you can converse in Mandarin and can write and read Chinese, that’s a huge bonus point for you to be hired.”