R. K. Shangeetha – författare

Chew, Shangeetha and Pillai offer valuable insights into the future of language use and development in Southeast Asia, one of the most diverse and culturally rich regions with differing socio-economic and political ecologies.Through a rich tapestry of perspectives, the chapters provide an analysis of the current and future trajectories of language use; examining English's role as a lingua franca and its implications for communication across diverse communities. It also delves into the preservation and revitalisation of endangered Indigenous languages, shedding light on their cultural, environmental and societal importance. Additionally, the book explores how migration, internationalisation, and technology are transforming linguistic practices and shaping language education. Readers will gain insights into how different forces are influencing communication, identity and societal development in a globalised world.With each chapter offering in-depth case studies and research, it is an essential resource for academics and scholars of both sociolinguistics and Southeast Asian studies. It is also valuable to linguists, educators and policymakers who are engaged in the planning of language teaching and learning.

This book investigates language choices in different domains among Syrian Arab Muslim families who came to Malaysia after war broke out in their country. It focuses on how Syrian Heritage Language (HL), Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Classical Arabic (CA), and other languages that might be spoken by these families were maintained and/or shifted from the time these families came to Malaysia until the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most works on Syrian community in Malaysia are focused on social and humanitarian issues; none has explored how Syrians in Malaysia are managing their language use in connection with day-to-day communication and integration. As the Syrian community in Malaysia adapts by learning the host language, their mother language/s might experience a shift. The way the minority communities view their mother language by prioritizing or deprioritizing its use in the family milieu are factors that contribute to language maintenance and language shift (LMLS). As such, this book provides insights on how Syrian parents are managing their own and their children’s language/s, along with the language of the host country.