16/11/2025

ON SUNDAY November 16, 2025 X theSunday Special

Double the words, double the worlds Bilingual education is emerging as a way to nurture sharper minds and stronger cultural roots from the very start. BY ASHRAF WAHAB

W HEN the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13) was announced earlier this year, one detail caught the attention of parents nationwide: Preschool will soon be com SXOVRU\ IRU FKLOGUHQ IURP WKH DJH RI ¿YH For many families, this feels like a long RYHUGXH VWHS $IWHU DOO HDUO\ FKLOGKRRG is where the foundations of learning, VRFLDO VNLOOV DQG HPRWLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW DUH ODLG +RZHYHU DV 0DOD\VLD WDNHV WKLV step forward, another question naturally arises – what kind of preschool education should we prioritise?

$Q\RQH ZKR KDV REVHUYHG D ELOLQJXDO child slipping naturally between two languages – sometimes mid-sentence – KDV VHHQ WKLV FRJQLWLYH ÀH[LELOLW\ LQ DFWLRQ :KDW DSSHDUV WR EH ³PL[LQJ´ LV DFWXDOO\ HYLGHQFH RI VWURQJ OLQJXLVWLF FRQWURO Malaysia’s shifting demand It wasn’t too long ago that bilingual early childhood education was seen as a luxury, FRQILQHG WR H[SHQVLYH XUEDQ FHQWUHV $FFHVV ZDV OLPLWHG RIWHQ OHDYLQJ D JDS EH WZHHQ SDUHQWDO DVSLUDWLRQV DQG DYDLODEOH RSWLRQV 7KDW ODQGVFDSH LV QRZ FKDQJLQJ “ 7KHUH¶V EHHQ D VLJQL¿FDQW VKLIW ´ .RK VDLG

One growing area of focus is bilingual HGXFDWLRQ LQ HDUO\ FKLOGKRRG $V SDU ents know all too well, language is not just about communication – it is about RSSRUWXQLW\ LGHQWLW\ DQG HYHQ KRZ D FKLOG WKLQNV DQG SURFHVVHV WKH ZRUOG ,Q 0DOD\VLD ZKHUH OLQJXLVWLF GLYHUVLW\ LV already a way of life, the idea of embedding

bilingualism into preschool classrooms is JDLQLQJ WUDFWLRQ Bilingualism from the start $FFRUGLQJ WR 3DWULFLD .RK FKLHI H[HFXWLYH and education ambassador of MapleBear $VLDZLGH VWDUWLQJ ELOLQJXDO HGXFDWLRQ HDUO\ EULQJV DGYDQWDJHV WKDW H[WHQG IDU EH\RQG DFDGHPLF VFRUHV “When children are introduced to a VHFRQG ODQJXDJH HDUO\ WKH EHQH¿WV H[WHQG IDU EH\RQG DFDGHPLF DFKLHYHPHQW RU IX WXUH SURIHVVLRQDO RSSRUWXQLWLHV 5HVHDUFK VKRZV ELOLQJXDO FKLOGUHQ GHYHORS VWURQJHU H[HFXWLYH IXQFWLRQ VNLOOV PHQWDO ÀH[LELOLW\ DQG HYHQ ORQJ WHUP EUDLQ UHVLOLHQFH ´ VKH VDLG In other words, bilingualism isn’t just about polishing up a CV 20 years down the line – it’s about shaping how young brains JURZ 1HXURLPDJLQJ VWXGLHV IRU H[DPSOH VKRZ WKDW ELOLQJXDOV PD\ KDYH ODUJHU KLSSRFDPSDO YROXPH ± D SDUW RI WKH EUDLQ OLQNHG WR PHPRU\ DQG UHVLOLHQFH 7KLV VXJ gests that early exposure to two languages can not only boost learning in childhood but also enhance brain health later in life, with some studies linking bilingualism to D GHOD\HG RQVHW RI GHPHQWLD Won’t two languages confuse a child? 7KLV LV SHUKDSV WKH PRVW FRPPRQ SDUHQWDO worry, especially among those who feel that children should “master one language ¿UVW´ .RK LV TXLFN WR GLVPLVV WKLV P\WK “ ([WHQVLYH UHVHDUFK DQG GHFDGHV RI SUDFWLFH VKRZ WKH RSSRVLWH WR EH WUXH ´ VKH H[SODLQHG Children quickly learn to distinguish ZKHQ DQG ZKHUH WR XVH HDFK ODQJXDJH Far from confusing, early immersion KHOSV WKHP DGDSW ÀXLGO\ DQG VWUHQJWKHQV FRPPXQLFDWLRQ VNLOOV

Children quickly learn when and where to use each language. What looks like mixing is actually strong linguistic control.”

Parents are no longer satisfied with token exposure to a second language, such DV ZHHNO\ OHVVRQV RU FDVXDO YRFDEXODU\ OLVWV :KDW WKH\ ZDQW LV LPPHUVLRQ ± ZKHUH FKLOGUHQ WUXO\ OLYH DQG OHDUQ LQ WZR ODQJXDJHV GDLO\ 7 his aligns neatly with Malaysia’s EURDGHU JRDOV ,I WKH QDWLRQ KRSHV WR UHPDLQ FRPSHWLWLYH JOREDOO\ ZKLOH PDLQ taining its rich cultural identity, raising ELOLQJXDO RU HYHQ PXOWLOLQJXDO FLWL]HQV LV QRW RSWLRQDO LW¶V HVVHQWLDO

Teachers use stories and songs to help preschoolers think and express themselves bilingually.