The Use and Status of Language in Brunei Darussalam

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Introduction

   • Noor Azam Haji-Othman, James McLellan, David Deterding

   Pages 1-6

3. Language Status

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

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   2. The Language Situation in Brunei Darussalam

      • James McLellan, Noor Azam Haji-Othman, David Deterding

      Pages 9-16

   3. The State of Indigenous Languages in Brunei

      • Noor Azam Haji-Othman, Siti Ajeerah Najib

      Pages 17-28

   4. The Language of Shop Signs in a Modern Shopping Centre in Brunei

      • Susilawati Japri

      Pages 29-38

4. Pronunciation and Grammar

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 39-39

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   2. The Role of Fast Speech in Misunderstandings in Brunei English

      • Ishamina Athirah

      Pages 41-56

   3. A Comparison of the Vowels of Brunei Mandarin and Beijing Mandarin

      • Shufang Xu

      Pages 57-74

   4. Comprehension of Aspect Markers by Brunei Malay L1 Learners

      • Aznah Suhaimi, Noor Azam Haji-Othman

      Pages 75-94

5. Language Choice

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 95-95

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   2. The Attitudes of University Students Towards Their Native and Non-native English Speaking Lecturers in Brunei

      • Debbie G. E. Ho

      Pages 97-123

   3. Patterns of Language Choice and Use in Interactions Among Foreign Workers in Brunei Darussalam: A Preliminary Study

      • Fatimah Chuchu, James McLellan

      Pages 125-134

   4. Courtroom Discourse: A Case Study of the Linguistic Strategies in Brunei Courtrooms

      • Hjh Masmahirah Hj Mohd Tali

      Pages 135-163

6. Discourse

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 165-165

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   2. Politeness Strategies of Bruneian Malay Youths in Compliment Speech Acts

      • Kamsiah Abdullah

      Pages 167-185

   3. The Discourse of Online Texts in Brunei: Extending Bruneian English

      • Alistair Wood

      Pages 187-200

   4. Identity Representation in Press Releases of a Brunei-Based Banking Institution

      • Mayyer Ling

      Pages 201-210

   5. Similar Story, Different Angles? A Comparative Study of ‘Hard News’ Texts in the Malay and English Print Media in Brunei Darussalam

      • Sharifah Nurul Huda Alkaff, James McLellan, Fatimah Chuchu

      Pages 211-237

7. Literature and Language in Education

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 239-239

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This book provides an overview of the linguistic situation in Brunei, including a historical overview and a synopsis of the current education system. It investigates pronunciation, particularly the intelligibility of Brunei English and the vowels of Brunei Mandarin, and it also describes the acquisition of Malay grammar, Malay politeness strategies, the use of language online, language in the courts, a comparison of Malay and English newspapers, the language of shop signs, the status of Dusun, and lastly, English literature in Brunei.

• Brunei English
• Brunei Language Policy
• Brunei Malay
• Chinese in Brunei
• English literature in Brunei
• Ethnic Languages in Brunei
• Language of Shop Signs
• Literature in Brunei
• Malay in Brunei

• University of Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam

  Noor Azam Haji-Othman, James McLellan, David Deterding

Noor Azam Haji-Othman is an Associate Professor of English Language & Linguistics, and he teaches communication and media modules at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).  His research interests include the interactions between languages in Brunei and bilingualism in relation to/as a result of state policy on language, education and society.


James McLellan is a Senior Lecturer of English Language and Linguistics at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. He previously taught at secondary and tertiary levels in the UK, France, Malaysia, Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand). His research interests include Malay-English language alternation, Southeast Asian Englishes, Borneo indigenous language maintenance, and language policy and planning in education. 


David Deterding is a Professor at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, where he teaches Phonetics, Malay-English Translation, Forensic Linguistics, and Research Methods. His research concerns acoustic measurement, phonetic description of English, Malay and Chinese, and the description of varieties of English in Southeast Asia, including those of Brunei, Singapore, China and Hong Kong.

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