How a few words of Mandarin can go a long way

A trip to a car workshop might not seem like the obvious place to discover the value of learning another language. But for Muhammad Aizat Nor Rahman, one conversation was enough to make the point.

The 36-year-old recalled meeting a Chinese workshop owner who initially seemed reluctant to engage with him. Once Aizat introduced himself in Mandarin, however, the mood changed and the conversation became noticeably more relaxed.

It was a small moment, but one that reinforced why he had chosen to learn the language in the first place.

“To me, language is a gateway to culture,” he told Bernama. “That is why I view language learning as an excellent platform for fostering unity, especially in Malaysia’s multiracial society.”

For him, even imperfect attempts are often met warmly. He said Chinese Malaysians generally respond positively when they hear him trying to speak Mandarin – not because he speaks it flawlessly, but because the effort itself signals an interest in meeting them halfway.

“Learning different languages does not mean forgetting our own cultural roots,” he said. “We learn their language, and at the same time, we can teach them Malay.”

For beauty therapist G Yuashini, 25, the value of Mandarin became especially clear at work.

Yuashini, who attended a Chinese primary school, returned to the language after almost eight years of barely using it when she realised some elderly patients at the clinic where she worked struggled to understand explanations in Malay or English.

Terms involving skin conditions, allergies and steroids could be confusing, so being able to explain them in Mandarin made those conversations much easier.

“I learnt the language to help others, not just for my own benefit,” she said.

That practical connection also appears in the classroom for Nurfatin Syafiqah Yasin, 24, a teaching assistant at an international school.

Many of her students are Chinese, and being able to speak Mandarin gives her another way to communicate with them while building rapport.

A Spanish language and linguistics graduate from Universiti Malaya, Nurfatin is hardly unfamiliar with the idea that language can shape how people understand one another. She is equally clear, however, that learning additional languages does not diminish the role of Malay.

“Malay remains an integral part of daily life, while mastering an additional language allows us to step outside our own circles, meet more people and gain insight into more cultures,” she said.

In a multilingual country like Malaysia, a few extra words may not solve every misunderstanding – but they can make it much easier to begin talking.

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