Ong Li Zhen
I have always envied friends who could speak three or four dialects and regretted not learning them when I was younger. Dialects are not just about preserving culture and tradition; they also help connect people, bridging generations. This versatility in languages gives us our unique Malaysian identity. Whenever I meet people from Hong Kong or parts of China, they are fascinated by our culture and multilingual skills. Moments like these inspire me to learn more about our history and dialects.
To preserve dialects, family education is key. Elders should teach children from a young age through informal methods – conversations, TV shows, songs – which I believe is the most natural way to learn languages, especially dialects. With the Selangor government offering free online language courses next year, similar programmes for dialects could be introduced through community-focused initiatives.
Ong Li Zhen, 21
I grew up in an English-Hokkien speaking household, and I am extremely grateful for it. Although I am not as fluent as my parents or grandparents, I absolutely enjoy speaking Hokkien, as it makes me feel connected to my roots and heritage. Knowing that both my parents’ heritage is from Fujian, I feel a strong urge to ensure that the Hokkien dialect is passed on to the next generation. I believe the easiest and most enjoyable way to learn a dialect is through movies and TV dramas. That’s how I maintained my Hokkien proficiency, even when I wasn’t speaking the dialect much.
Charis Chiang En-Hui, 22
I try to preserve my dialect heritage by engaging with my family. My dad’s side of the family speaks Hokkien. I find the dialect rather interesting, and am able to understand certain phrases and speak simple sentences. Speaking dialects is important because they carry family history, identity and cultural values that cannot be replaced by standard languages. To better preserve dialects among the younger generation, families should use them more at home, while schools and media can help by introducing dialect-based content in fun and relatable ways.
Isabel Tang Mea, 14
