This book is the first of its kind on Mandarin spread in Malaysia. The author investigated the language situation in the Chinese community in Johor and proposed a theoretical framework to analyze language spread. In her proposal, mass media in Mandarin and Chinese education play significant roles in Mandarin spread. Both top-down and bottom spread are found, which is different from the process of English spread elsewhere. With the spread of Mandarin, more and more Chinese abandon Chinese dialects and identify with the pan-Chinese identity. Mandarin spread is a dynamic process, which is triggered by an internal force, i.e. sociolinguistic realignment of the community. In this book, the author compares Johor with Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in terms of their sociolinguistic realignment process. This is a book for sociolinguists, language planners, students of linguistics, school teachers, and general readers

This is a groundbreaking book that offers key stakeholders, policy makers and professionals a much needed resource to understand the need to provide effective and humane treatment of drug users with drug addiction problems (drug dependants) who fall within the criminal justice system in Malaysia. This book begins with a narrative description of the historical evolution of drug abuse in Malaysia: beginning from the opium trade in the 18th century, with the exodus of the Chinese immigrants to Southeast Asia and Malaysia as labourers in the late 19th century which brought along the problem of opium addiction to the Malay Peninsula, to the 1970s which saw a transitional change from opium addiction to heroin and the rise in amphetamine-type-stimulant (ATS) abuse in Malaysia as the 21st century drug problem. It then provides an overview of Malaysia’s prohibition approach by waging the rhetorical War on Drugs, including the development of Malaysia’s punitive drug laws and the recent paradigm shift towards a more rehabilitative approach in drug treatment. Over the years, a considerable number of High Court cases have challenged the legality of the detention of drug dependants for treatment at Puspen via a court-mandated order. This book further presents a commentary that is founded upon the legal challenges brought about by such unlawful detention, illustrated by judicial decisions of Malaysian judges regarding the constitutional rights of the drug dependants enshrined under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution.

Like several other Asian countries, Malaysia uses English for a variety of official, professional and everyday purposes. Many Malaysians use English alongside their first language, typically Malay, Chinese or Tamil, but have a particular need for English if they are to succeed in their careers. What is special about this book is that it looks under the surface of the use of English, and shows how the teaching of English is tailored to bring this language situation about, by applying recent developments in the study of English and of English Language Teaching. It deals with questions such as the use of corpora in language teaching, and investigates some of the obstacles young Malaysians face in acquiring the necessary command of English. Issues investigated include the link between lack of proficiency and lack of motivation, the effect of examinations and the ‘washback’ effect, and the problems of academic writing. Other chapters deal with English in the workplace, including doctor-patient communication, the communication challenges facing tour guides, and gender-based differences in the learning of computer skills. The book will be of great value to anyone professionally involved with global English, ‘glocalisation’ or language contact, including teachers, publishers and language planners, especially those concerned with the use of global English in Asia.

In today's global world, where Asia is an increasing area of focus, it is vital to explore what it means to 'understand' Asian cultures through English and other languages. This volume presents new research on English in Asia, alongside Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi-Urdu, Malay, Russian and other languages.

Written in a detailed and fascinating manner, this book is ideal for general readers interested in the English language.

This proceedings volume contains papers presented at the 2015 International Conference on Management and Technology in Knowledge, Service, Tourism & Hospitality (SERVE 2015), covering a wide range of topics in the fields of knowledge and service management, web intelligence, tourism and hospitality. This overview of current state of affair