Mother Tongue Use in Bilingual/Bidialectal Education: Implications for Bruneian Dwibahasa

Abstract

This paper is a balance-sheet that presents and evaluates the arguments and research evidence for and against mother tongue use in bilingual classrooms. I endorse the claim that MT use bolsters L2 development, cognitive development and content learning. Five recurrent arguments for MT use are outlined and their relevance for the Brunei Dwibahasa system of bilingual education are evaluated. It is suggested that the true MT of Bruneian children, Brunei Malay, should be used in Primary school, and that the pretence that Bahasa Melayu is their MT should be discarded. However, if bidialectalism is a goal, there are good reasons for teaching Bahasa Melayu as a second dialect of the Bruneians. As for the teaching of English, it is obvious that Bruneians are unwilling to embrace the 'Mickey MacDonald' culture, and so English should be taught as a foreign rather than as a second language. The teaching approach recommended is not the traditional 'separation' approach, but a new interfacing approach, the principles of which are outlined.

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