Abstract

Some Malaysians prefer foreign languages to use in their daily lives than Malay language. This attitude can undermine the perception of the Malay language itself if the foreign language is too mastered and practiced in daily life, for example by individuals who are studying a foreign language. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the perception of foreign language program students towards the Malay language by using the survey method. A set of questionnaires containing the constructs of attitudes, interests and views to measure perceptions of the Malay language was distributed to respondents who are currently following a foreign language program. A total of 40 foreign language program students consisting of Malays, Chinese and Indians at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia were selected through a purposive sampling method. The results of the study found that the students attitude towards the Malay language is positive (M=3.70; SD=0.45), the students interest in the Malay language is high (M=3.88; SD=0.67) and the students view of the use of the Malay language in daily communication is also positive (M=4.32; SD=0.64). Therefore, this shows that foreign program students still have a positive perception of the Malay language even though they are learning and mastering foreign languages.