Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 10(2): 109-116 (2002) ISSN: 0128-7702© Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

The Sociolinguistics of Banking: Language Use in EnhancingCapacities and Opportunities

AIN NADZIMAH ABDULLAH 8c ROSLI TALIFDepartment of English Language

Faculty of Modern Languages & CommunicationUniversiti Putra Malaysia

43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Keywords: Bilingualism, commercial development, banking, executive-level employees,multicultural, multilingual

ABSTRAK

Penggunaan bahasa Malaysia (bahasa kebangsaan) dan bahasa Inggeris (BI) menawarkankeuntungan ekonomi kepada para pekerja sektor swasta di Malaysia. Para majikan menganggapkedwibahasaan BM-BI sebagai satu cara penting untuk perkembangan perdagangan kerana iniakan membuka pintu kepada pasaran dan menyediakan wawasan negara terhadap senarioantarabangsa (Rosli Talif dan Ain Nadzimah 1998). Bagaimanapun, masalah yang dihadapi olehkedwibahasaan BM-BI di Malaysia adalah kurangnya kata sepakat dari segi tujuan dan matlamatnya.Walaupun setelah mengambil kira keuntungan daripada pengetahuan kedwibahasaan BM-BI dankonteks di mana ia telah dimajukan, dipertahankan dan dikembangkan, ramai lagi yang masihragu tentang kesannya terhadap bahasa kebangsaan. Perdebatan lebih kepada sama ada memajukanBI sebagai alat kemajuan akan menenggelamkan peranan BM. Kajian ini bertujuan untukmeneliti keperluan dan penggunaan BM dan BI di kalangan pekerja eksekutif dalam industriperbankan. Industri ini dipilih sebagai gambaran perniagaan yang global, pelbagai budaya danpelbagai bahasa. Satu soal selidik lapangan dan temu duga yang dikendalikan meliputi BankNegara, bank tempatan dan antarabangsa yang terdapat di Kuala Lumpur. Soal selidik tersebutjuga akan menentukan bahasa yang digunakan untuk komunikasi sama ada lisan atau tulisandalam industri perbankan.

ABSTRACT

The use of BM (the national language) and English offers economic profitability to private sectoremployees in Malaysia. Employers see BM-English bilingualism as an important tool for commercialdevelopment since it can open doors to new markets and provide for the country's visibility onthe international scene (Rosli Talif and Ain Nadzimah 1998). However, a problem facing BM-English bilingualism in Malaysia is the lack of agreement as to its purpose and aims. Even afterconsidering the advantages associated with BM-English bilingualism and the contexts in which itis promoted, sustained and developed, many are concerned about its effects on the nationallanguage. The debate seems to be about whether promoting English as a tool of developmentwould confine BM to the backwoods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the necessity anduse of bahasa Malaysia (BM) and English among executive-level employees in the bankingindustry. The industry was selected as it reflects a business that is global, multicultural andmultilingual. A survey questionnaire and participant interviews were conducted involving theCentral Bank, local and international banks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Contexts of use forlanguages used in communication, oral and written, within the banking industry were identified.

INTRODUCTION been studied from two major theoreticalSociolinguistics is the study of the relationship orientations: (1) linguistic, such as differencesbetween language and society, that is between in the realisation of structural featureslinguistic and social facts. This relationship has (phonological, morphological, syntactic, and

Ain Nadzimah Abdullah 8c Rosli Talif

lexical) by speakers, and (2) pragmatic, functionor purpose of language for a particularcommunity. This second theoretical orientationexamines language and the social forces whichinfluence its use. It is of particular concern tothis study. Research in this area focussing onthis functional view has been undertaken inMalaysia. (Ahmad Mohd Yusof et al 1992; Asmah1992; Shanta 2000).

In studying language choice and use,Fishman (1971), poses the question of "whospeaks what language to whom and when." Thefirst part of the question (who?) is answered inthis study by limiting the subjects of the study toexecutives working in local and internationalbanks in Kuala Lumpur. The other two parts ofFishman's question are left open, that is, whenand to whom BM and English are spoken andwill be discussed below.

Speakers of languages are constantlycomparing and evaluating language in terms ofits usefulness for a given speech act. Even thougha language should never be considered "better"or "worse" than another, attempts to favour onelanguage over another are always present andmaybe reflected in the language choice ofspeakers. These language choice decisions arenever made in a vacuum. They are, instead,influenced consciously or unconsciously by anumber of factors among which some are socialand others economic.

As a matter of fact, Gumperz has argued in1974 that,

Choice of styles or language is seen as a strategyon the part of speakers trying, for instance, topresent themselves as individuals with particularsocially defined qualities, or, as another example,trying to convey a particular attitude or impressionconcerning a topic of conversation (Gumperz inGal 1979: 91).

When choosing one language over another,a speaker makes a statement about hisinterpretation of the situation or to turn theargument around, certain social factors (whoyou are talking to, the social context of the talk,the function and topic of the discussion) becomeimportant in accounting for language choice(Holmes 2001).

BM AND ENGLISH: A SMART PARTNERSHIPAND NOT A LINGUISTIC RIVALRY

The current situation in Malaysia shows thatbahasa Malaysia (BM) is the national and officiallanguage and English, the second most importantlanguage. There are policies to maintain andpromote allegiance to BM. In view of thecountry's political stability and its expandingeconomic opportunities, and in line withmodernisation, international recognition, andthe desire for progress, English is the logicalchoice for such a second language.

Obviously, English is the language of widercommunication and the need for the generalpopulation to be proficient in English isapparent. In spite of this, the government doesnot plan to accord official language status toEnglish and the use of English can only becomplementary to the national language. BM isused consistently at all levels of governmenttransactions.

As stated in the Constitution, Article 152(1) The national language shall be the Malay languageand shall be in such script as Parliament may by lawprovide:

Provided that: (a) no person shall beprohibited or prevented from using(otherwise than for official purposes), orfrom teaching or learning, any otherlanguage; and (b) nothing in this clauseshall prejudice the right of the FederalGovernment or of any State Government topreserve and sustain the use and study ofthe language of any other community in theFederation.

Today, societal bilingualism (multilingualismin reality) exists in Malaysia with a large portionof the population speaking both BM and English.It is a consequence of a specific language planto promote linguistic duality withoutundermining the status, role and allegiance tothe national and official language. The linguisticsituation in Malaysia encourages the use of BMfor intra-national needs and English forinternational needs. This co-existence of BMand English is an indication of a smartpartnership between the two languages, thusavoiding any manifestation of conflict betweenthem.

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The Sociolinguistics of Banking: Language Use in Enhancing Capacities and Opportunities

Nevertheless, the presence of English in thecountry has been construed by national languageloyalists to be disruptive to the linguistic ecology.BM and English are traditionally seen as rivals,and the elevation of one is seen to mean thesuppression of the other. There is a negativeconnotation associated with English coupled witha fervent defence of the national language. Thebelief is that English has become the languageof many crucial domains in Malaysia, while thenational language, although retained, finds itselfin a precarious state. There was a time not toolong ago when "using the English language wasregarded unpatriotic and frowned upon. Timehas proven that the national language, BM, hasachieved the status it deserves." (The Star,November 8, 2000, p. 2).

The partnership between BM and English isoften misunderstood as it is believed toincorporate the symbolic struggle over culturalor national identity. Language is too often seenas a political force that can unite or threaten tosplit a country. English is the language ofinternational communication and the gatewayto world citizenship. Nationalistic sentiments tendto impede the use of English when it is presentedas a threat to the national language. The reasonsfor preserving a national language may on manyoccasions be equated with maintaining thenational identity of a people. This linguisticrivalry must not exist as we should not beconfined by nationalistic sentiments.

Another argument against the use of Englishupholds the view that English is a coloniallanguage. Such an argument is outmoded. Atthe end of colonisation, it is the peoplethemselves who became co-processors of thelanguage. The English language is actually beingshared by 700 million of the world's population(TESI^EJ 1994). In a global sense, English is nolonger a language that belongs to or can beidentified with a single race or country.

The following polemics concern theintrusiveness of English and the effects it mayhave on the wider use of BM. At times thewidespread use of English meets with resistanceas it is still considered to be the language of thecolonialists. The adoption of a foreign (in thiscase colonial) language is thought to possess thepower of re-orientating the people of the countrytowards the culture and thinking of their formercolonial masters. The country will thus becomean ardent follower of the western powers and be

unable to develop her own independent mind,minda bahasa, or national intellect.

Malaysians must realise that English is thelanguage of wider communication and is noenemy to nationalism. BM is secure in its statusand role as official and national language. Weare living in an era of information explosion.The need for the general population to beproficient in English is even more apparent nowas "three-quarters of the world's mail and four-fifths of its electronic information is in English"(Asiaweek June 16 1995).

With the country's present aspiration ofbecoming industrially developed through aknowledge-based workforce, it seems that thesmart partnership of BM and English wouldprovide the platform for Malaysia to take thequantum leap to international success. There isa necessity in Malaysia to master both languagesif not more. Having the capacity to use twolanguages is beneficial to any individual.

LANGUAGE AND BANKINGThe banking system in Malaysia was introducedby the British in the mid-19th century. Theindependence of Malaya in 1957 and theestablishment of Bank Negara (Central Bank)two years later did not change banking practicesintroduced earlier; hence, the dependence onthe English language remained in place.Moreover, Acts related to the licensing offinancial institutions do not stipulate languagerequirements for the industry. In fact, not evenBank Negara is obliged to use BM. Theconstitution does not legislate the use of BMwithin the financial system. The NationalLanguage Act 1963/67 made it only compulsoryfor the national language (BM) to be used atofficial functions. However, this does not includethe private sector, and especially not the bankingand financial sectors.

The Banking System

Bank Negara Malaysia is Malaysia's central bankand is responsible for supervising the bankingsystem. It also issues the Malaysian currency, actsas banker and financial adviser to thegovernment, administers foreign exchangecontrol regulations, and is lender of last resortto the banking system.

The banking system in Malaysia alsocomprises the commercial banks, merchant

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Ain Nadzimah Abdullah & Rosli Talif

banks, and finance companies. They are themajor institutional sources of credit. Thirty-fivelicensed commercial banks operate through atotal of 1888 branches. Representative offices by36 foreign banks have also been established. Awide range of merchant banking services areprovided by 12 merchant banks with a networkof 22 branches, many of which have affiliationswith merchant banks established overseas. AnIslamic bank provides all the conventionalbanking services, based on the Islamic conceptof banking and credit. Twenty-three financecompanies operate through 960 branches thataccept retail deposits and provide finance forhire purchase and leasing transactions.

Today, the banking industry in Malaysiareflects a business that is global, multiculturaland multilingual. Being proficient in thedominant languages (BM and English) isindispensable in this sector. Industrialization andmodernisation bring with them the need for theEnglish language and an English-speakingpopulation more adapted to the technologicalenvironment that the process generates. A societymay find that only through the learning of anadditional language will the people have accessto social mobility via the power and resourcesthat industrialisation brings.

Possessing linguistic skills in the nationallanguage (BM) and English is now important inthe banking industry. This becomes increasinglytrue with the international market becomingintegrated into the local scene. These emergingmarkets offer a tremendous potential for businessexpansion. Therefore, the possibility ofcommunication in just one language does notsuffice. Employees in the banking industry needto measure up to increasingly demanding globalexpectations for better proficiency in English.

Rosli and Ain Nadzimah show in their 1998study that English is of instrumental value in theMalaysian private sector workplace. The studyalso showed that opportunities for employmentand commerce tend to be open only to thosewho are proficient in the dominant languages.Ali Abul Hassan (2000), the former Governor ofBank Negara, states that human capital willcertainly be a key driver and critical determinantto the success of an organization.

The banking industry has expanded beyondnational boundaries and is now even takingplace over cyber space. Markets no longer needto be physical but could exist in virtual networks.

The Star, a national daily, states 'it goes withoutsaying that English is the language of informationand technology. Just flip through an internationalpublication, switch on the television, scour theairwaves, click on to the internet or open acomputer manual and you will face an Englishworld. Statistics from local IT players show thatonly 1% of websites use BM' (The Star, November8, 2000, p.2).

The strategic alliance between BM andEnglish should be mutually beneficial and highlyrelevant in the new economic order of today.This would be in line with meeting globalbanking standards, which impose increasedrequirements on banks. Greater importance isnow accorded to non-financial as well as financialmeasures of performance. As a result, proficiencyin the national language (BM) and English wouldbe an integral part of evaluating employeeperformance in the banking sector.

Therefore, it is pertinent that employees inthe banking industry communicate clearly andeffectively in both BM and English. The country'sfuture lies in a knowledge-based economy whereknowledge is an important component indetermining performance and management ofbusinesses. The need for the effective use ofappropriate language or languages is vital. Withthe technological revolution that is taking place,the need to communicate and function in thenew economy is becoming a major factor forgenerating growth and transforming businesses.Good, accurate, written and spoken English andBM are no longer a side issue. It is widelyaccepted as essential to the image of aninstitution.

The Study

This study investigates the necessity and use ofBM and English among executive-level employeesin the banking industry. It attempts to find out(1) with whom banking executives use BM andEnglish; and (2) what the location, setting,communicative intent, and mode are. The studyalso identified languages used for communication,oral and written within the banking industry.This industry was selected as it reflects a businessoperation that is global in nature. The bilingualtrend observed here will determine long-termcompetitiveness for those linked to the bankingsector.

A survey questionnaire was used to gatherdata from executives working in the central

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The Sociolinguistics of Banking: Language Use in Enhancing Capacities and Opportunities

bank, local and international commercial banksin Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The questionnairecomprised three parts. Part one sought informationon the respondents' biodata (Table 1), workplaceand work experience (Table 2), and educationalbackground (Table 3). Part two aimed at gettingrespondents* perceptions on the necessity anduse of BM and English within the bankingindustry, while part three sought to identifyrespondents' code choices for oral and writtencommunication in a variety of situations withinthe banking industry. The data were reported interms of percentages. Interview sessions wereheld at the banks.

Descriptive statistics are presented in thisstudy. The figures shown are reported inpercentage because this study is concerned withthe tendency of language use rather thanabsolute frequencies of use. To describe patternsof code choice, the researchers have identified anumber of typical day-to-day interactionsinvolving bank executives. The term, domains oflanguage use, follows Fishman's criteria and seeksto show typical interactions between typicalparticipants in typical settings. Though a verygeneral concept, the notion of domain has beenfound to be useful in capturing broadgeneralisations of a speech community. It allowsone to summarise the norms of language use fora large group of people.

TABLE 1Biodata

TABLE 3Educational background

Respondents (n=37)

Respondents

1. Race

2. Gender

(n=37)

MalayChineseIndian

MaleFemale

TABLE 2Workplace and work experience

Respondents

Workplace

WorkExperience

(n-37)

Central BankCommercial Bank

0-5 yrs6-10 yrs11-15 yrs>15 years

19117

2314

829

318142

Education1. Received tertiary education 332. Did not receive education 43. Educated in the country 194. Educated abroad 14

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGSRespondents

The study involved 37 middle management tosenior management personnel from sevendifferent banking institutions. There were 11Chinese, seven Indian and 19 Malay respondents.Of these, eight were working with Bank NegaraMalaysia (Central Bank). The respondents' agesranged between 30 and 50. A large majority ofthe respondents (62%) were male. A majority ofthem (86%) have worked in banks for 6 to 15years. All but four of the respondents receivedtertiary education. A majority (57%) receivedtheir tertiary education in the country and theothers received it abroad.

A. Perception Towards the Necessity and Use ofBM and English in BankingProficiency in both English and BM is regardedas very important in the banking industry.English is used in six out of seven bankinginstitutions surveyed while BM is used in all. Therespondents noted that it would be difficult towork in a bank if one only knows BM. Conversely,knowing English would be most helpful whenworking in a bank. Respondents also stated thatif one had knowledge of only English, it wouldstill be possible to work in certain departmentsof the bank such as the legal department,corporate banking, corporate credit and loans,research, investment and training, as well asinsurance.

Thirty-one respondents agreed that Englishshould play a more important role in the bankingindustry. They also noted that English is used inthe following situations: at meetings, for bothinternal and external correspondence,communication with clients and amongemployees. However, they also indicated thatBM would be used when dealing with thegovernment as it is the national and officiallanguage of the country.

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Language competency or the lack of it is abarrier to employment and promotion withinthe banking system. Eighty-six percent of therespondents noted that it was necessary for anemployee from the middle management tomanagement level to be proficient in English inorder to be considered well qualified and eligiblefor further job promotion.

Proficiency in English prepares one to facethe increasing demand and challenges of today'sworld. Although not all jobs require fluency inboth BM and English, the ability is a definiteadvantage and often becomes the decisive factorfor employment. Effective use of English seemsto be necessary for employees to be marketableand it is essential to those who want to competeand succeed within the banking system.

In recognising that the future lies in aknowledge-based economy where knowledge isan important component in determiningperformance, it is important to put themanagement of language knowledge within thebanking industry into its right place and cultivateit. This management of language knowledgewould enhance the competitive position of thebank and allow for competitive advantage. It istherefore important for the banking industry toensure that their human resources are managedeffectively and optimised for future growth.

(i) English Proficiency

Proficiency in English is important in therespondents' work place for the purposes ofcommunication and business transactions. Whenasked about the percentage of staff that is fluentin English in their organization, the lowestpercentage reported is 60%, while three banksmentioned 90% of their staff being fluent in thelanguage. Interestingly, respondents from theCentral Bank noted a higher percentage of staffthat is fluent in English. Most respondentsindicated that all their departments are involvedin using English in their daily routines especiallythose departments that have corporate andinternational dealings. The banking industry,therefore, needs to encourage employees to usethe national language (BM) as well as English.

(ii) Languages Other Than BM and EnglishWhen asked whether knowledge of a languageother than BM and English, that is, a thirdlanguage, is important in the banking industry,only four respondents said that it is not necessary.

The remaining 33 respondents mentioned thata third language is important for the purposesof marketing their services, and communicatingwith prospective clients. The most popular thirdlanguage stated by the respondents is Mandarin,followed by Tamil, Japanese and French.

There seems to be the awareness thatknowledge of a third language could confer thebenefit of broadening one's scope beyond thelimits of one's own culture and country. It ishard to ignore the many benefits this extraknowledge can bring. One must realise thatadded knowledge is an added gift as it allowsone to possess a better means of communicationbecause it suggests an increase in individualpotential. It also enables one to have manyperspectives on life, foster open-mindednesswhile eliminating cultural ignorance.

(iii) Employment

All respondents said that it is important foremployees to be proficient in both, BM andEnglish. Thirty-four respondents stated that theywould not employ someone who is not fluent inEnglish while only three said they would. It isinteresting to note that when it comes toemploying prospective candidates who have thesame qualifications but differ in their languageproficiency, all respondents stated that thecandidates who are more proficient in Englishstand a better chance of being employed in thebanking industry. Twenty-seven respondentsmentioned that they would not considerprospective candidates who are more proficientin BM than in English. Eight respondents, inturn, stated that they would consider suchcandidates while two of them said that it dependson the job requirement.

Being able to use both BM and Englishshows that one has learned two languages. Thisdemonstrates discipline, spirit of initiative and apredisposition to learn new things. Thus, usingmore than one language makes the employeemore flexible and more valuable. Having thecapacity to adapt to two languages is thereforeprofitable to an individual.

Thirty-two respondents indicated that it wasdifficult to get prospective employees who areproficient in English, while five others said thatit was not difficult to find such candidates. Thefive respondents were all involved in thecorporate banking departments of theirrespective banks. It could be that this department

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had higher expectations and more stringentlanguage requirements and therefore found itharder to obtain employees who could meetthose requirements.

B. Code Choices as Reflected in ActualLinguistic PracticesAreas of CommunicationThe researchers identified four different areasof communication in the banking situation.They are: (i) meetings, (ii) correspondence,(iii) communication between employees, and (iv)communication with clients.

English seems to be the code choice atmeetings, for correspondence (both internal andexternal) and with clients as reported by 35respondents. However, BM was used more oftenin conversation between employees as reportedby 32 respondents. It was also stated that asuperior would commonly use English whenspeaking to a subordinate officer while asubordinate officer would most likely use BMwhen speaking to a superior unless he wasaddressed in English first.

(i) MeetingsWhen asked to state which language was mostcommonly used during meetings within the bank,the respondents stated that the chairperson usesEnglish to introduce the meeting, present anidea, advance an argument, pose a question,report a problem, share progress, ask for andmake clarifications as well as conclude a meeting.Some of the common issues discussed in Englishare those related to policy, central banking affairs,electronic banking and foreign exchange. It wasalso reported that at management and middlemanagement meetings, both the chairpersonand participants of the meeting use Englishpredominandy. This was true in six of the sevenbanks surveyed. Instances of code switching werereported when the matters discussed were non-technical in nature. Whenever meetings wereheld with government agencies, the dominantlanguage used was BM.

(ii) CorrespondenceIn all the seven banks surveyed, respondentsstated that English was used for all corres-pondence between departments within the bank.This included correspondence with the HeadOffice, between high-level management, and withclients. BM, in turn, is used in correspondence

only with government agencies. As for the useof BM, Ali Abul Hassan (2000) reiterates theneed for banking institutions to promoteincreased use of BM in the financial sectorhereby catering to the needs of the largest ethnicgroup of population. A wider use of BM inbusiness correspondence would make bankinginstitutions friendlier and more approachable.At the very least, simple contracts includinghousing and car loan contracts as well asapplication forms for banking products andservices to the general public should alwaysinclude a BM version.

(iii) Communication Between Employees

Thirty-four respondents stated that English wasused amongst employees when discussingbanking-related matters. BM was used whendiscussing personal matters and when engagingin small talk. BM was also used for salutationpurposes.

The government has successfully imple-mented the use of BM. As a result, BM's primacyis well established. It is the medium of instructionfor all levels of education and used forcommunication, especially in the governmentsector. As reported by Ain and Chan (2000), BMis the dominant language used for inter-racialcommunication in Malaysia, especially amongpost-independence Malaysians.

(iv) Communication with Clients

The banking industry is a service-based industry.It is therefore important that frontline employeesdevelop the necessary language proficienciestoward achieving and depicting a professional,competent, honest, and responsible workforce.This helps to uphold the image of theorganisation.

In all except one of the banks surveyed,respondents reported that BM and not Englishis most often used at reception counters of thebanks. However, when meeting clients over loan,insurance and credit card matters, English isused. In the rapidly evolving banking industry,responsiveness to client needs is a crucial test ofthe industry's survival. With increasingsophistication of needs and higher expectationfrom clients, there is urgency for banks to set upcompetitive strategies leading to a highly skilledknowledgeable and language proficientworkforce.

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CONCLUSION

Language conflicts generally incorporatesymbolic struggles over religious, ethnic, cultural,or national identity. The debate in Malaysiaseems to be about whether promoting Englishas a tool of development would confine BM tothe backwoods (Far Eastern Economic Review,October 10, 1992). There is also the belief thatpromoting English may result in the loss of theMalay identity as stated by Professor IsmailHussein, "Language is the soul of the race. Weshould master English but let it not master us"(Malaysian Business 1992).

There is a lack of agreement as to thepurpose and aims of using both BM and English.Even after considering the advantages associatedwith these two languages and the contexts inwhich they are promoted, sustained, anddeveloped, many are concerned about the effectsEnglish could have on the national language.Viewpoints on these issues are linked to generalpolitical philosophy and ideals of what it meansto be a Malaysian.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia has arguedthat BM has a role to play and the governmentis not de-emphasizing that role. No languageshould ever be seen as having the ability todebase another. In that respect, he argued that,"We should not be fanatical about it (BM)because that would make it difficult for us tobenefit our race in a competitive world. Whetherwe like it or not, English is an internationallanguage" (Malaysian Business 1992). Being thecommon international language, it is Englishthat allows us to overcome the influence oflinguistic separatism.

In the banking sector, the way business isconducted is rapidly changing. Thus, in such adynamic and ever changing environment, banksare under enormous pressure to measure up toincreasing global expectations especially in thefield of communication; hence, die knowledgeof both languages, BM and English, is animportant component of the growth equationfor the banking industry in this new economicorder.

Those in the banking sector face a new kindof challenge, that of being able to communicatein both the national language as well as English.This study shows that proficiency in these twolanguages contributes towards enhancing thecapacities and opportunities within the bankingsector. Using both these languages empowers

the banking sector to develop global alliancesand enhance market possibilities. The simpletruth lies in the fact that those who can functionin the country's predominant languages findthemselves at a considerable advantage over thosewho cannot.

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