Do you know what the national anthems of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia share in common?
They all contain the Malay language in their lyrics!
The Malay language has always been recognised as the lingua franca of the Southeast Asian region due to its strong ties to the history and cultures within this region over the years. Hence, it is no surprise that more people are gaining interest in enrolling for Malay language lessons and courses in Malaysia these days, especially when it is the official language of the country.
While we are aware that repetition is a key factor in successful language learning, language learners are likely to feel demotivated to attend formal Malay lessons every day. Learning Malay can be intentional, creative and equally effective even during your free time!
Why should you learn Malay in the first place?
You may have been told numerous times in your Malay classes that it is important for you to master your country's national language. Let’s take a pause here and ask ourselves: how useful is this language that you should look for creative ways to practise this language outside of your lessons?
There is no such thing as time wasted when you learn a new language, as science has proven time and again that studying a second language boosts brain health and improves other areas of learning. The same goes for learning the Malay language!
Be a part of local culture
You could be a Malaysian living in Kuala Lumpur or even someone who has just moved to Kota Kinabalu for work. Knowing how to speak and listen in Malay is integral to feeling a part of your local community as you will need it to communicate with those in your neighbourhood, even if it is using Malay for something as simple as purchasing snacks at a nearby mart.
Simply greeting someone with “Apa khabar?” can go a long way in establishing your identity as a Malaysian or in adjusting yourself to the friendly local culture. With some fluency in the Malay language, you will be more confident talking to your fellow Malaysians who share the same bahasa - or have no trouble making friends in a new country!
Enhance your travel experience
You could also be visiting Malaysia as a tourist and plan to stay for a few weeks. While you don’t have to score an A in a Malay proficiency test to visit Malaysia, knowing some basic Malay phrases and simple sentences can help ease your travel needs and make your stay more enjoyable overall. Don’t be surprised when locals are pleased to hear you put in effort to learn the national language!
After visiting popular destinations in Malaysia, you could be thinking of heading over to nearby countries like Singapore and Indonesia. Since these countries also use Malay officially, it’s going to prove useful when you travel there as well. Become a prepared traveller by learning Malay in your spare time!
Malay is a relatively easy language to learn
Perhaps you may not have heard, but Malay is a language that is quite straightforward and it can be picked up fairly quickly if you take the time out of your day to practise it regularly. Apart from Malay words being easy to pronounce, the language uses simple sentence structures (usually a basic Subject + Verb + Object sentence) and has no plurals, conjugations or verb tenses.
With easy pronunciation and simple grammar rules, it’s no wonder that many people are eager to learn Malay as their second language.
Now, here are five ways that you can practice your Malay between lessons.
#1. Diversify your vocabulary in Malay through various materials
In addition to your worksheets and textbooks that you already have from your Malay lessons, there are other materials you should have on hand to expand your Malay vocabulary.
First, stay motivated to increase your vocabulary by using a bilingual Malay and English dictionary when you come across a new or unfamiliar Malay word.
Why a Malay/English bilingual dictionary? The Malay language has various borrowed words from English (think of bas, aktiviti and kek as some of these words), so it would make sense that you can familiarise yourself with many Malay words and phrases with an English-to-Malay dictionary.
When buying your dictionary, it is important to make sure that it is recognised by the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP), Malaysia’s official government body that coordinates the correct use of the Malay language as well as all Malay language literature-related matters in Malaysia.
Besides increasing your Malay vocabulary, using a dictionary helps you identify root words in Malay, as well as learn how you can use the exact word in a sentence.
Next, look for Malay reading materials like simple stories and short novels.
If you are a bookworm, practising your Malay through reading should come naturally to you! Even if you are not, you can start small by reading Malay short stories or graphic novels with easy themes like school and travel. For instance, simple stories that centre around family members, your favourite sport or even animals can get the ball rolling for you to start reading in Malay.
Once you are more comfortable and confident, you can then choose to advance towards reading Malay newspapers such as Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia and so on.
Another fun way to diversify your vocabulary is to use flashcards to learn new words. Flashcards can help you remember new Malay words easily since you will be able to associate images with related vocabulary words.
If you cannot find flashcards that contain the matching images and words you are trying to pick up, how about grabbing some construction paper and pens to make a unique deck of flashcards?
You can also use this method to explore how different vocabularies can fit into different grammatical rules when you are writing and speaking, which serves as a great guide for you to learn Malay more comprehensively for each language learning component.
#2. Immerse yourself in Malay entertainment!
Perhaps you aren’t really a books-and-news kind of person and you want to learn Malay in more entertaining ways.
Well, there are thousands of Malay shows and movies you can watch!
You may have heard of P. Ramlee - an icon in the Malay entertainment scene who had directed and acted in numerous films. Did you know that he was also a fantastic singer and composed over 200 songs? This should come as no surprise as early Malay films were highly influenced by the bangsawan (traditional Malay theatre often accompanied by music and dancing) theatre scene.
Beyond the legacy of P. Ramlee, many Malaysian actors and producers continue to bring excitement and thrill to Malay entertainment, such as famous actors Awal Ashaari, Fazura and Maya Karin.
Curious about what kind of Malay shows and movies are out there?
For all the movie-goers, here are some of the top-grossing Malay films produced by and starring talented Malaysians:
1. Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan (2022)
As of July 2022, Mat Kilau became the highest-grossing film of all time in Malaysia! Directed by Syamsul Yusof, this Malay film is set in the 19th century during the British colonisation of Malaya, and tells the story of a local pahlawan (hero) from Pahang fighting to protect his home.
With messages of leadership, bravery and patriotism, this movie is fantastic for learning about Malay culture and some history of how Malaysia came to be.
2. Munafik 1 & 2 (2016 & 2018)
Are you a fan of horror movies? Buckle your seats for this supernatural horror Malay film that centres on Adam, a religious medical practitioner, who struggles to cope with his wife’s death. Things begin to turn strange and unsettling after he treats a patient linked to his wife’s accident…
No more spoilers! But you should know that the Munafik series was also directed by Syamsul Yusof and it even won Best National Language Film. This is a movie series that will keep you on the edge of your seat AND help you pick up the Malay language.
3. Polis Evo 1, 2 & 3 (2015-2023)
When a cop from the big city meets his fellow comrade from a small town, you already know there’s going to be hilarious clashes and fantastic chemistry between the characters. This action/ comedy Malay film is exciting, full of adventure, and will have you laughing in between the non-stop action scenes.
Bonus points if you’re already a fan of Zizan Razak and Shaheizy Sam who are the main characters in Polis Evo.
Before you get too excited and watch all the Malay films out there, remember that you can use this opportunity to learn both written and spoken Malay. You can even try turning on the Malay subtitles and test how well you understand what is being said - a challenge to check if your Malay lessons are paying off!
Note: If you find that watching a Malay movie is too overwhelming in the beginning, you can start by watching animation series or movies that revolve around simpler characters by learning basic words and sentences first. Studies have shown that animation can help learners retain information better when they are exposed to new key concepts of their studied subject.
Some of the popular Malaysian animations that you can try watching are BoBoiBoy and Upin and Ipin. These shows will also give you a glimpse into Malay culture!
#3. Engage with interesting Malay culture
Though Malaysia is widely known as a multicultural nation, the Malay language is strongly associated with the Malay community and culture. Whether it is music, architecture, cuisine, or arts, there is so much to explore and discover!
Hence, an amazing way to practice your Malay between lessons is to actively look for elements of the Malay culture and engage in them!
- If you love history and traditional games, you can get involved in the wonderful world of traditional Malay games such as permainan guli, congkak and gasing. Among all these traditional Malay games, batu seremban is one of the most popular games as all you need are some items similar to small stones - these could be seeds or even pieces of fruit!
- Malay fashion is another area for you to engage with Malay culture. Visit a nearby kamdar shop to check out the traditional clothing worn by the locals such as batik, baju kurung and baju kebaya.
- There are also fun celebrations and events you can look out for that pay homage to Malay culture. One of the most important Malay festive celebrations in Malaysia that you shouldn’t miss out on is Hari Raya Aidilfitri, where the concept of “open house” (rumah terbuka) is practised. When you attend an open house during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, you will receive green packets (with money) and also be served a variety of delicious Malay snacks and dishes such as ayam berempah, rendang and the must-have ketupat that you will find at every Malay household you visit.
Not sure who you can visit for Hari Raya if you are new to Malaysia? Well, if you are learning Malay from a Malay teacher, you can even visit his or her house and take it as a chance for you to further learn the Malay from them.
And of course, you certainly cannot leave out the Malay cuisine such as the locals’ favourite spicy breakfast: nasi lemak and laksa!
When you are immersed in Malay culture, you are more likely to pick up new words and proceed to have natural conversations as it helps you pay attention to more details. Even if you are not sure whether you are picking up Malay correctly, that is something you can discuss later with your Malay teacher during lessons.
#4. Understanding Malay like a local
One of the greatest compliments that a language learner can receive is how he or she speaks like a local! This is certainly possible if you are willing to immerse yourself in a Malay-speaking environment.
Here are some fun ideas for understanding and speaking Malay like the locals do.
Do a daily Malay speaking challenge
You can set a challenge to speak Bahasa Melayu regularly and consistently by allocating a few hours per day, or per week, to build the momentum and excitement you need to practise speaking Malay.
However, you need to set a specific goal and list out clear directions so that you are aware of what you want to practise, as well as have steps on how to start practising.
For example, if you love talking to the camera, you can do a weekly or monthly vlog of a “24-hour challenge of speaking ONLY in Malay”. You may want to share it with your Malay teacher so that they can provide helpful feedback, or stay motivated to make these vlogs when you share them with your friends or on your social media. This could encourage you to really work on your Malay speaking and attempt to sound like a local!
Order your meals in Malay
Want to practice your reading skills in Malay? Try ordering a meal by using only Bahasa Melayu!
Unless you are a complete homebody, you will likely step out at some point in the week to have your meal or even just to meet up with a friend. Take this as a chance to read and order your food in Malay by going out to explore places that offer Malay cuisine!
Like it or not, most of the menus in mamak stalls (indoor, open-air establishments found throughout Malaysia that serve Indian-Malay foods) are written completely in Malay so this is a great opportunity for you to read and speak in Malay.
As you will be ordering in an informal setting, you do not have to worry about sounding perfect at all times. The idea is to achieve the goal of getting your meaning across in a simple manner. Your language skills will improve with time.
Start by listening and observing how your local friends usually place their orders. If you are not unsure how to string a full sentence while ordering, just state what you want in small statements with this formula: one type of dish, one type of drink, thank you. You can try this Malay sentence below the next time you visit your favourite mamak store.
“Nasi lemak satu, milo ais satu. Terima kasih.”
Get your hands on additional Malay references
Okay, we admit this idea doesn’t sound as fun as the other two, but here us out.
If you are a student who is preparing for your examinations, a great way to understand Malay is to make good use of Malay reference books. You can get a variety of Malay academic reference books from local physical and online bookstores such as Popular Malaysia, MPH and so on.
The idea is to aim for progress, and not perfection, when you are doing the exercises in your Malay books. You can learn to familiarise yourself with different types of questions with different comprehension levels. For instance, you can attempt objective questions to know which is the most accurate noun or adjective for a particular situation.
On the other hand, if you want to improve your writing, you can try out different writing formats in Malay and practise writing a Malay essay using the paragraph formats and points provided.
#5. Complete your Malay language learning experience with Superprof
What happens during your lessons is as important as what happens between your lessons. That is why you should look no further than Superprof for the best Malay language lessons!
Mastering Malay with Superprof Malaysia promises you a smooth language learning and practice experience. Firstly, the teaching and learning process at Superprof is all about flexibility. This applies to both physical and online classes. Especially now when time is money, having easy and affordable access to online language learning lessons will ensure you a fruitful and effective session.
Furthermore, you will be able to personalise your Malay lessons according to your location, schedule, scope of learning, the tutor’s teaching experience as well as the overall budget and cost of your Malay lessons through a user-friendly learning platform. Online lessons also mean that you can easily revise and review your Malay lessons according to previous recordings and digital files which you can download at all times. This means you can constantly practise before and after your lessons with your Malay teacher.
Learning Malay with Superprof also means that you can list down questions that you want to ask your Malay teacher in your next lesson. If you are unsure of the right pronunciation of certain words, or are feeling confused about certain grammatical rules and the usage of vocabulary in the right context, you can also record yourself (in both audio or video forms) to receive feedback from your Malay tutor.
Malay language fluency can certainly be achieved with the help of a Malay teacher. But remember: true language learning does not stop when you finish your lessons. Language is like a muscle that requires you to use it consistently. If you don’t use it, you will lose it! Be sure to practise your Malay between lessons and you will surely reap the fruit of your labour in due time!
Find a teacher in Malay today on Superprof!
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