Balancing BM and English

Maryam: By continuing to speak Malay, even as the world changes, we help keep a part of our identity alive.

IN kindergarten, I was surrounded by adults who mostly spoke Malay. My only exposure to English was through television, so it was no surprise that I was much better at Malay.

Things changed in primary school when I enrolled in an international school. The medium of instruction was English, and I interacted with people from diverse backgrounds.