1Malaysia English Reflects Unity

Abstract

The main aims of this qualitative study are to identify and categorise the types of lexical borrowings from the three main Malaysian languages which are the Malay language, Chinese dialects and Indian languages used by 203 ESL teachers, to what extent these lexical borrowings are used and for what reasons. This study has identified a new category known as prefixation and collected 483 lexical items over a period of one year that is, from December 2011 to November 2012. The findings of this study show that the ESL teachers mainly use the lexical items from the Malay language more frequently as it is the official language and has a prestigious placing. Since unity in diversity is encouraged, 1Malaysia English will further unite the Malaysians and thus accept the 1Malaysia concept with a more open and positive mind.