Growing up in Malaysia, we sometimes don’t realize the things that make us unique.
We don’t think too much about calling the server at our favourite Mamak as anna, or how we call our friends out for yum cha. Some of our Malay friends can speak Cantonese fluently and some of our Indian friends can understand Mandarin.
Take this multicultural and multiracial environment and put our kids in it, then we will see how much of a good thing it can be.
For young minds, being exposed to various cultures and ways of life can help them to understand the world better, help them to respect and appreciate the differences people have. This wonderful opportunity of looking at the world from a different looking glass can give our kids an edge when they grow up.
In the spirit of Malaysia Day, let’s take a look at what makes Malaysian truly Malaysian and how this colourful, lively and vibrant culture is good for our children.
Ini berapa? Tapau can? Romba thanks!
There is an absolute beauty in our ability to speak three different languages in one sentence and still have others understand us perfectly. While this may not exactly count you as being multilingual, it can open up chances for our kids to learn.
When they grow up listening to words from other languages, they will be able to expand their vocabulary and perhaps become interested in any particular language. In such a multiracial country as Malaysia, mixed marriages are common. This also gives another advantage to children who are born from these marriages. They have the chance to learn each parent’s mother tongue and can at least speak 3 different languages by the time they graduated from high school.
A different language is a different vision of life. - Federico Fellini
Being able to speak several languages can break down barriers and let a person into an otherwise territorial ground. For Malaysian kids who can speak several languages, it can give them a competitive edge when they go out into the world either to look for a job or strike it out on their own.
Malaysian children equal to good global citizen
Different faces of different colours is not an uncommon sight in Malaysia. Our kids see this every day as they go to school, as we take them out to the shopping mall or the park. It may seem like a trivial thing, but for a child’s growing mind, being used to seeing different people from various backgrounds, religious beliefs and lifestyles will take them away from the cocoon of living in their own world.
Seeing how different people live their lives and knowing that there is not one person that is the same, will give them a sense of respect towards others and remove the fear of the unknown. Usually, when people are afraid of something they don’t understand, they can become very hostile and distant towards that thing or person. If our kids grow up without this fear towards someone that looks different from them, they’re able to be more approachable and open to anyone. This will make others feel comfortable with our kids and accept them better.
So, let your children be Malaysian, let them embrace it, because hey, it’s a good thing!
