Manglish: An Attitudinal Analysis of Malaysian Undergraduates

Abstract

Manglish, a unique language variety in Malaysia, has evolved from a pidgin to a creole due to the historical influence of British colonialism. However, the development of Manglish has sparked diverse opinions among the Malaysian population. This research aims to investigate the attitudes of undergraduate students towards Manglish, focusing on the correlation between ethnic background and attitudes towards Manglish. A quantitative research design is employed, utilising an online survey as the primary method of data collection. A questionnaire consisting of 4 sections, including 23 items on behaviour and affection, perception towards motivation, perception towards standard of Manglish and perception towards identity, is administered to a convenient sampling of 67 respondents. The findings reveal that a large majority of Malaysian undergraduates are positive towards Manglish, an indication of the survivability in the face of adversity. The results of the Fisher's exact test also indicate associations between ethnicity and behaviour and affection towards Manglish (p = 0.005) as well as the perception towards the standard of Manglish (p = 0.001).