Constructing identities through language: a cross-national study of Malaysia and Indonesia. (original) (raw)

Based on an international collaboration, this paper explores the language and identity link for young professionals in South East Asia. In this paper, only data from two countries will be discussed -Indonesia and Malaysia. To study how English impacts the construction of identities of EFL/ESL users in these settings, young Indonesian and Malaysian professionals were selected as participants. They consist of a group of employees in the media and media related industries that are proficient in English, but are also non-native speakers. All of them use English as the main language in the workplace and they "own" English as part of their language repertoire. The choice of media and media related industry is also a conscious one, given that many such businesses in South East Asia use English as their medium of internal communication and to disseminate information to the public. Results from four research sites are presented based on recurring themes arising from the experiences of all the participants. Data indicates that the use of English by these young professionals has given them new avenues for self expression and widened their views of the world but at the same time, leading to a sense of being a stranger in their own backyard and having to mask their identities with family and friends.