LETTERS: The Malay language is the country's national language and is widely spoken by people from all walks of life.
The Malay language has also been used for official purposes after the country gained independence more than six decades ago.
Besides that, about 134 other languages have been identified as living languages used by Malaysians across the country. These languages include languages spoken by Chinese and Indians, who make up the largest population groups after the Bumiputera.
The national language is a country's pride, heritage and identity. Therefore, we must respect the national language by making it a primary language for communication at school levels.
However, this is by no means meant that students cannot learn and use other languages such as their ethnic language or foreign language in daily life.
According to scholars, learning can be successful with support from students' ecosystems or contexts, whether direct or indirect.
Specifically, these social settings include multiple layers, among others are:
Teachers, parents, family and friends; the relationship between parents and school; the indirect settings, such as the various institutions and environments that students belong to and the sociocultural beliefs, practices and norms.
Parents and teachers are the closest individuals that children interact with every day. Therefore, both parties are integral to students' language development process through formal and informal involvements.
Besides that, a good relationship between parents and teachers are also necessary. Teachers can have regular meetings with parents to discuss difficulties students face in learning the language.
Apart from that, organisations such as the Ministry of Education and the Curriculum Development Centre are also significant. The policy set by these bodies will define the status of the national language in the education system.
Such a decision will impact students' national language competency who learn from the syllabus taught by teachers at school as outlined in the policy.
Finally, the way national language is perceived and practised by the whole society of different ethnicities also influences students' national language development.
Students can pick the language by listening to people around them who uphold and use it in everyday life.
National language learning and development of students depend on the dynamics surrounding children, or the "hierarchically organised system".
Therefore, all parties are responsible for helping students develop their proficiency in the national language, a symbol of national identity, sovereignty and unity.
Siti Soraya Lin
Universiti Sains Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times