The Use of Orang Asli Mother Tongue in Community Based Education in Malaysia

This article reports on an interpretivist study that aimed to understand the perspectives of volunteer teachers of young Orang Asli children within informal community classrooms in remote Malaysian village settings. The focus was on teachers’ intentions and strategies in teaching children using the mother tongue. Data were collected through semi structured interviews, and grounded theory methods of analysis were employed. Four themes were generated that highlighted participants’ commitment to using the mother tongue in the classroom alongside Bahasa Malaysia to maintain cultural heritage, facilitate learning, prepare students for formal schooling and mainstream society, and highlight the value of Orang Asli culture and identity in society. The findings will be useful in informing education policy for indigenous education in Malaysia and in other settings where mother tongue is used in the classroom.