Building Interlingual Bridges: An Action Research Study on Deepening Mutual Learning of Malay and Chinese through Translation Workshops in Malaysian National-Type Chinese Secondary Schools

Lim Wen Chi   [Malaysian]

Abstract

Malaysia's multilingual environment presents unique opportunities and challenges for language education. Students at National-type Chinese Secondary Schools (SMJK) are typically required to master both Malay (the national language) and Chinese (their mother tongue), yet instruction in these languages often remains compartmentalised. This study innovatively introduces a ‘Translation Workshop’ model into Chinese language classrooms, aiming to construct a ‘cross-linguistic bridge’. Through systematic comparison, conversion, and creative translation activities, it seeks to foster students' deep understanding and mutual appreciation of the linguistic characteristics and cultural connotations inherent in both Malay and Chinese. Teaching cases centred on ‘Mutual Translation and Appreciation of Malay Pantun and Classical Chinese Poetry’, ‘Bilingual Explanation of Localised Vocabulary (e.g., “Pasar”, “Nyonya”)’, and ‘Contextual Translation of Microfiction Fragments’. Practice demonstrates that this workshop effectively stimulates student interest, enhances bilingual sensitivity, micro-comparative analysis skills, and cross-cultural expression abilities, offering a locally distinctive pathway for deep integration within Malaysia's bilingual and multilingual education.

Keywords: Translation pedagogy; cross-linguistic learning; bilingual education; Malay and Chinese languages; National Type Chinese Secondary School (SMJK); Malaysia; workshop

Introduction

Malaysia's National Type Chinese Secondary Schools (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan, SMJK) bear the dual mission of preserving Chinese-language education and cultivating national citizens. Most students possess a bilingual foundation in Malay (the national language) and Chinese (their mother tongue). However, within the current curriculum framework, instruction in these two languages occurs in separate subjects with limited interconnection. Students often perceive the two languages as distinct knowledge systems, hindering deep mutual reinforcement and potentially causing interference. Harnessing students' bilingual background to transform linguistic burden into cognitive advantage is a critical challenge for enhancing the quality of language education in Malaysia. Translation, as a sophisticated and comprehensive linguistic activity, involves deep comprehension and creative adaptation across vocabulary, syntax, rhetoric, and cultural dimensions. It serves as a natural bridge connecting bilingual learning. Yet in secondary language education, translation is often narrowed to exam-oriented word, phrase, and sentence exercises, leaving its vast potential for cognitive training and cultural dialogue untapped. This study, grounded in sociocultural theory and contrastive linguistics, establishes ‘translation workshops’ within Chinese language classrooms to restore translation to its authentic role as a cross-linguistic communication task and exploratory process. The workshop does not aim to train professional translators. Instead, it uses translation as a ‘mirror’ and a “bridge” to guide students in actively comparing, appreciating, and transforming expressions between Malay and Chinese. Through this ‘mutual reflection,’ students deepen their understanding of each language's characteristics and cultural connotations, thereby enhancing their overall bilingual literacy. This paper aims to detail the design, implementation, and outcomes of this teaching case.

I. Background and Theoretical Framework of the Teaching Case Design

1. Teaching Content and Student Profile Analysis: Targeting senior secondary arts stream students (Tingkatan 4/5), who possess foundational reading and writing skills in both Malay and Chinese, along with preliminary awareness of linguistic phenomena, yet lack systematic comparative perspectives. The Chinese language curriculum offers sufficient flexibility to incorporate supplementary content.

2. Theoretical Framework: Sociocultural Theory (mediating tools), Contrastive Analysis Theory, Process-Oriented Translation Pedagogy, Multilingual Education Principles.

II. Implementation Process of Teaching Case (Series of Workshops, 6-8 lessons in total)

Workshop One: The Bridge of Rhythm – Encountering Malay Pantun and Chinese Quatrain

1. Introduction: juxtapose a classic Malay four-line pantun with a Chinese five-character quatrain sharing similar imagery (e.g., both evoke natural scenes to express longing). Enable students to appreciate the formal and rhythmic beauty of both forms.

2. Comparative Exploration:

Form Comparison: Analyse the Pantun's structure (‘pembayang’ in the first two lines, “maksud” in the last two) versus the quatrain's ‘introduction, development, transition, conclusion’; contrast rhyme schemes (Pantun's a-b-a-b versus quatrain rhyme rules).

Imagery and Cultural Contrast: Explore the distinct cultural associations and emotional expressions conveyed by common ‘natural imagery’ in pantun (e.g., Penang, tin, jasmine) versus ‘classical imagery’ in Chinese quatrain (bright moon, willow, cuckoo).

3. Translation Challenges:

Translation Attempts: Attempt to render pantuns into Chinese while preserving the ‘Xingyi’ structure and considering the rhythmic sensibility of Chinese poetry. Conversely, translate quatrains into the pantun form in Malay.

Discussion and Appreciation: Share translations and deliberate on strengths and weaknesses. Key questions: Which elements are ‘translatable’? Which are ‘untranslatable’? How did translators creatively address untranslatable aspects? What differences between the two poetic traditions does this reveal?

4. Outcome: Compose a ‘hybrid’ short poem blending Malay pantun form with classical Chinese imagery, accompanied by a brief creative note.

Workshop Two: The Lexical Mirror – Bilingual Deep Descriptions of Local Vocabulary

Introduction: List terms familiar to students yet rich in connotation, such as ‘pasar’ (market), ‘nyonya’ (Peranakan), “kampung” (village), and ‘satay’ (skewered meat).

In-depth Analysis:

In groups, select one term and compose a ‘lexical commentary’ in both Malay and Chinese, exploring its etymology, denotative scope, cultural associations, and emotional connotations.

For example, ‘pasar’: the Malay commentary should address its function as a community hub and social gathering place; while the Chinese commentary could draw parallels with ‘market’ or ‘vegetable market,’ contrasting its distinct experience with ‘supermarkets’ and highlighting the term's unique connotations within Malaysian Chinese discourse.

Translation/Interpretation Exercise: Create a ‘bilingual annotated version’ for a short text containing multiple such terms (e.g., describing a Nyonya wedding), or compose a ‘cultural guide’ for it in the other language. The emphasis lies not in literal translation, but in helping readers from another cultural context understand the underlying lifestyle and cultural significance.

Discussion: How does the ‘non-direct equivalence’ of these terms reflect Malaysia's multicultural fusion?

Workshop Three: Narrative Bridge – Contextual Translation of Microfiction Fragments

1. Material Selection: Choose a brief excerpt from a Malaysian Chinese microfiction piece (e.g., works by Li Zishu or He Shufang) and a Malay microfiction excerpt (e.g., S. M. Zakir), ideally sharing a common theme (e.g., coming-of-age, family).

2. Contextual Analysis: First, analyse the differences between the two fragments in narrative style, distinctive dialogue features (e.g., dialect traces), and descriptive focus.

3. Translation Tasks:

Translate a highly colloquial or culturally specific dialogue segment from the Chinese fragment into Malay, considering how to convey its essence rather than literal meaning.

Translate a segment of environmental or psychological description from the Malay fragment into Chinese, considering how syntactic conversion affects reading rhythm.

4. Group Translation Review Session: Collaboratively scrutinise translations, debating optimal approaches. Key debate: In narrative literature, does ‘domestication’ enhance reader accessibility, or does ‘foreignisation’ better preserve original flavour? How to balance these in the Malaysian context?

III. Teaching Effectiveness Analysis and Reflection

Analysis of workshop drafts, classroom discussion records, reflection questionnaires, and subsequent essays reveals significant outcomes:

1. Enhanced bilingual sensitivity: Students consciously compared linguistic differences. One reflected: ‘I never realised Malay favours passive voice for objectivity, while Chinese narratives often omit subjects and directly describe actions. Fascinating.’

2. Advancement from ‘intuition’ to ‘rational understanding’: Difficult choices during translation compelled students to question the underlying grammatical rules, rhetorical conventions, and cultural logic behind phrasing choices, thereby clarifying and rationalising previously vague linguistic intuition.

3. Deepening cross-cultural comprehension and expression: Through detailed analysis of terms like ‘Nyonya’ and ‘kampung,’ students transcended literal translation to grasp the hybrid cultural identities and emotional structures embedded within vocabulary. One student noted: ‘Translating “kampung” as merely “village” falls short. I must convey its essence as a close-knit, mutually supportive neighbourhood—a spiritual homeland for many Malaysians.’

4. Challenges and Reflections: Firstly, this approach demands considerable bilingual proficiency and theoretical knowledge of translation from teachers. Secondly, materials must be carefully selected to offer moderate difficulty with distinct cultural contrast points. Finally, it is crucial to avoid increasing students' workload; emphasis should be placed on the process-oriented, exploratory enjoyment rather than the “correctness” of the final translation.

Conclusion

The ‘Translation Workshop’ teaching practice implemented in Malaysian National-type Chinese Secondary Schools has successfully transformed translation from an exam-oriented skill into a cognitive tool and cultural bridge that promotes deep mutual learning between Malay and Chinese. Through comparative and transformative activities across poetry, vocabulary, and narrative, students dwell, observe, and reflect in the “in-between” spaces. This yields a more profound and multidimensional understanding of both languages and their respective cultural contexts than monolingual learning alone. This pedagogical approach fully leverages the unique advantages of Malaysia's multilingual ecosystem. It not only enhances students' linguistic proficiency but also cultivates valuable intercultural communication skills and multicultural awareness, offering a robust response to the educational goal of shaping Malaysian citizens with national identity and international vision. Future exploration could incorporate additional linguistic elements, such as Tamil, to develop richer multilingual mutual learning models.

References

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