KUALA LUMPUR: Studies have shown that a knowledge is more easily absorbed if taught in one’s mother tongue, said Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Fauzi Ramlan.
He said the Malay language treasure trove was rich enough and capable of being an effective medium for the dissemination of information and knowledge.
“The potential of Bahasa Melayu to be a world language, especially in the economic sector, is there.
“The Malay language is only facing a crisis of confidence among its users due to the limited lexicon to phrase the new developments or discoveries in a world civilisation based on science and technology,” he said in his speech when opening the Linguistic and Acculturation of Malay Language International Seminar at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, here, on Tuesday.
The two-day seminar themed, “Bahasa Melayu Language for Nation Building”, is organised by UPM and DBP.
Later, at a press conference, DBP director-general Datuk Dr Awang Sariyan said he agreed with Mohd Fauzi’s statement that many studies had shown that knowledge was easier learned if taught in the mother tongue.
“One of the studies was done by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco),” he noted. — Bernama