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Madrasah students and graduates : language preference, language use and personal growth
Author
Sharifah Khadijah Syed Abdullah Aljoofri
Supervisor
Seow, Anthony
Bruthiaux, Paul
Abstract
Madrasahs are Islamic religious schools with different educational models in different parts of the world. In Singapore, the madrasahs have traditionally used Arabic and Malay as mediums of instruction in their Islamic Studies curriculum. Today, some madrasahs are using English as the medium of instruction while some are still maintaining the status quo of using Arabic and/or Malay.
This study investigates the patterns of language use and language preference of the current madrasah students and past graduates, as well as their personal growth in relation to the importance of the English Language. “Language use” refers to the language codes that interactants use naturally and unconsciously in communicative events while “language preference” refers to the language that speakers have a greater liking to over another language during an interaction.
Two out of the six madrasahs in Singapore were chosen for this present study. One madrasah is using English in their Islamic Studies curriculum, known in this present study as the Curriculum Development Project (CDP) madrasah. The other madrasah uses the traditional languages of Malay and Arabic. 149 students from both the CDP and non-CDP madrasah were involved in the study. 50 past graduates from different madrasahs in the country participated in the study.
The study utilised the questionnaire to elicit response on language preference and language use. To gain further insight into and understanding of their linguistic behaviour, 40 of the madrasah students were subsequently interviewed.
The findings of the study show that, in everyday communicative activities where language is used, madrasah students and madrasah graduates do not differ much from that observed of the general bilingual Singapore population in terms of their choice of linguistic codes. In other words, they, too, are using both English and Malay in managing different aspects of their lives for personal, recreational, home, school or work activities. Whether they come from a CDP or a non-CDP madrasah, the percentage of madrasah students who perceive English to be important in their life is quite high. The percentage is even higher for the madrasah graduates who are now schooling outside the madrasahs or working in environments where they meet people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. It is obvious that the Singapore government’s bilingual education policies have permeated the lives of the madrasah students and graduates even though madrasah education has traditionally been steeped in the use of Malay and Arabic. All student and graduate respondents attest to the importance of English Language in their personal development.
It is hoped that the study of language preference vis-à-vis language use will help to guide Malay Language users, whether madrasah students, madrasah graduates or the general Malay population to become more consciously aware of the choices they are making daily with regard to their mother tongue, regardless of the constraints that may be inherent in communicative events. Future research may examine these constraints more to assist language users to become effective in their preferred languages.
This study investigates the patterns of language use and language preference of the current madrasah students and past graduates, as well as their personal growth in relation to the importance of the English Language. “Language use” refers to the language codes that interactants use naturally and unconsciously in communicative events while “language preference” refers to the language that speakers have a greater liking to over another language during an interaction.
Two out of the six madrasahs in Singapore were chosen for this present study. One madrasah is using English in their Islamic Studies curriculum, known in this present study as the Curriculum Development Project (CDP) madrasah. The other madrasah uses the traditional languages of Malay and Arabic. 149 students from both the CDP and non-CDP madrasah were involved in the study. 50 past graduates from different madrasahs in the country participated in the study.
The study utilised the questionnaire to elicit response on language preference and language use. To gain further insight into and understanding of their linguistic behaviour, 40 of the madrasah students were subsequently interviewed.
The findings of the study show that, in everyday communicative activities where language is used, madrasah students and madrasah graduates do not differ much from that observed of the general bilingual Singapore population in terms of their choice of linguistic codes. In other words, they, too, are using both English and Malay in managing different aspects of their lives for personal, recreational, home, school or work activities. Whether they come from a CDP or a non-CDP madrasah, the percentage of madrasah students who perceive English to be important in their life is quite high. The percentage is even higher for the madrasah graduates who are now schooling outside the madrasahs or working in environments where they meet people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. It is obvious that the Singapore government’s bilingual education policies have permeated the lives of the madrasah students and graduates even though madrasah education has traditionally been steeped in the use of Malay and Arabic. All student and graduate respondents attest to the importance of English Language in their personal development.
It is hoped that the study of language preference vis-à-vis language use will help to guide Malay Language users, whether madrasah students, madrasah graduates or the general Malay population to become more consciously aware of the choices they are making daily with regard to their mother tongue, regardless of the constraints that may be inherent in communicative events. Future research may examine these constraints more to assist language users to become effective in their preferred languages.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
P57.S55 Sha
Date Submitted
2011