MONDAY, 31 DECEMBER - According to the Ethnologue, 7,097 languages are spoken in the world today, but that number is always in flux depending on the survival of each language as “roughly a third of the languages are endangered”. 2018 has been a great year for languages and linguistics for RULLS specifically and for UMS in general. Since starting its operation on 1 Feb 2018, RULLS has worked to spread the message that UMS is on point to state that this university is relevant and a reference in the niche areas of languages and linguistic. Hence, it was apt that RULLS conducted its first workshop on the eve of the 2^nd International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, and Society on 7 Nov 2018 with the title ‘Language Revitalization and Documentation’. The 1-day workshop was led by renowned linguist, Emeritus Professor Dr. James T. Collins, from the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The workshop was divided into four sessions: Review of Praxis and Priorities (Documentation, Maintenance, and Revitalization), Preconsiderations (Principles, Constraints, Targets, Guidelines), Strategies (Scope, Priority Targets, Agents, Ages, Surveys), and Practice (Training, Reviewing, Rethinking, Reaching Out, Products, Continuity) with a break for lunch with the participants.

Working in groups, the workshop participants explored contemporary situation on the Borneo and Southeast Asia islands; critically examined the response of governments, linguists and community activists; learned to distinguish between language documentation and language revitalization; and were exposed to international language documentation and language revitalization initiatives.

Officiated by the Dean of PPIB, Prof. Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau, the workshop was attended by about 40 local and international participants and held at the Bilik Mesyuarat Utama, PPIB. It was organized by the pre-conference workshop committee led by Dr. Jane Wong Kon Ling, who is also the Coordinator for the Brown Bag Seminar Series for Languages & Linguistics.

Emeritus Professor James T. Collins has been a Principal Research Fellow of the Institute for Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, since 2013. His principle interests are Austronesian historical linguistics, Malay dialectology, the minority languages of Maluku and Borneo/Kalimantan and the social history of Malay.

Fluent in Malay as well as Indonesian, Professor Collins has authored twenty-five books in Malay, Indonesian, and English. His award-winning book, Wibawa Bahasa Melayu: Kepiawaian dan Kepelbagaian (1999) has been reprinted twice, the latest in 2016. The third expanded edition of Malay, World Language: A Short History, was published in 2018. His most recent book is Bibliografi Dialek Melayu Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (2018); this Bibliografi completes a series of five bibliographies covering Malay dialects throughout Southeast Asia.

Emeritus Prof. Collins’ commitment to community outreach continues through his work on minority language revitalization in Indonesia and Malaysia with funding from the Toyota Foundation (Japan) and the Kone Foundation (Finland). RULLS is extremely proud to have such a prominent linguist led its first language revitalization and documentation workshop. js/ldw-1-2018

FRIDAY, 21 DECEMBER - A group of 12 civil engineering final year students of Faculty of Engineering, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have been engaged with the community of Kg. Singgaron Baru, Ranau for water security and quality improvement using Biosand Water Filter recently.

Over 50 villagers took part in this project which was held for 2 days at the community hall, with 50 units of biosand filter have been successfully assembled and installed with joint effort of the community members which will not only benefit each household but also public places like mosque, kindergarten, pre-school and 2 food stalls.

“This project is fully funded by KHIND Starfish Foundation under Project for Happiness 2018. We are grateful and honoured to be among the selected ones to receive the fund and therefore able to turn the dreams of the community in Kg. Singgaron Baru, Ranau into a reality,” said group project leader, Allan Lumberio Lim.

 “This project is what the villagers have been looking forward to. We are very thankful to both UMS and Khind Starfish Foundation for selecting our small village and providing each household with a unit of filter which has the same function as other water filter system, without any cost charges. With this given facility, it sure will help in enhancing the water quality for consumption here,” said one of the villager during an interview session.

Present during the project implementation, Prof. Madya Dr.Nurmin Bolong as Advisor of the project and lecturer of Environmental Engineering course, officiated the ceremony and involved during the briefing with the villagers.

WEDNESDAY, 05 DECEMBER - In its first role as conference organizer, the Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS) successfully held the 2^nd International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, and Society (ICLALIS 2018) with the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning (PPIB) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at the Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, recently.

The theme of the two days conference was “Languages, linguistics, and society in the era of disruptive technologies”.

Four keynote speakers together with 53 paper presenters from Malaysia, Switzerland, Nigeria, the Philippines and Indonesia joined the event. A pre-conference workshop conducted by keynote speaker Emeritus Prof. Dr. James T. Collins was also held on 7^th November 2018 at PPIB.

The conference was officiated by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry, Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, who was also a keynote speaker at the conference.

Other keynote speakers were Assistant Minister, Ministry of Education and Innovation, Sabah, Jenifer Lasimbang; Principal Research Fellow, Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Emeritus Prof. Dr. James T. Collins; and Prof. Dr. Zuraidah Don, Advisor – Council of Language Deans, and Founding Chair – English Language Standards and Quality Council, Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

The opening ceremony was also attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. D Kamarudin D Mudin; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), Prof. Dr. Ismail Ali, and Dean of PPIB, Prof. Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau.

In his keynote, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius stated that as societies move forward and face a world with disruptive technologies, there is even more need to maintain and practice good values which amongst others are found in languages.

“Indigenous languages, for example, are rich with positive values which people must not lose sight of especially in the digital world,” he said.  

In a first, ICLALIS 2018 was organized with collaborated effort by dedicated PPIB lecturers and language teachers from all three UMS campuses.

Another first was the introduction of five best paper presentation awards for the categories of indigenous language, Malaysian school teachers, Malaysian higher education, international presenter, and poster presentation.

Awards recipients received academic reference materials donated by generous sponsors. ICLALIS 2018 was helmed by the convener, Dr. Jeannet Stephen, and co-convener Natalie Ann Gregory.

Dr. Jeannet Stephen heads the Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS) since February 2018. ICLALIS 2018 is also a contribution by UMS in support of the United Nation’s 2019 International Year of the Indigenous Languages and the event’s information is listed on IYIL’s website via this URL: https://en.iyil2019.org/events/2nd-international-conference-on-languages-linguistics-and-society/.

THURSDAY, 22 NOVEMBER The Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS), PPIB successfully held its fourth Brown Bag Seminar Series for Languages & Linguistics on 24 September 2018 at Bilik Mesyuarat Utama, PPIB with the title ‘Keeping the Heritage, Embracing the Global: Some Considerations for English Language Instructors’ delivered by Dr. Daron Benjamin Loo from the Centre for English Language Communication, National University of Singapore.

Dr. Daron Benjamin Loo received his PhD in Applied Linguistics from the School of Liberal Arts, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. While his main research interests lie in the examination of professional identities of language educators, he is also interested in the sociology of English learners in the international context.

Some of his recent research projects include examining narratives of disruption among English teachers in Kota Belud, Sabah, and the shifts in professional identity among language educators in light of educational policy changes in Thailand.

Dr. Daron in his talk discussed issues “regarding the possibilities of developing and maintaining a heritage language, whilst being engaged as an English language professional.”

This is especially in the context of Sabah which is rich in local indigenous languages that exist alongside English. In his abstract, Dr. Darron states that, “While global sentiments about heritage education have been positive, locally, it has been positioned on the fringe of other educational aspirations, such as to create cohesion through the nation’s official language.

Nonetheless, there seems to be a growing interest in issues concerning heritage education, especially in the teaching and learning of heritage languages. This may be due to the development of critical pedagogy and a reaction towards global mobility.

In English language education, studies have discussed the value of instilling pedagogical elements that support critical thinking, such as intercultural competence as a way to raise awareness about self and others.

On the other hand, international mobility afforded to English teachers has also compelled them to question the position of their heritage language in light of their profession as instructors of a global language.

These intersections between heritage education and global hegemonic communication practices inevitably place language education and instructors within uncharted terrains”.

Lecturers and language teachers from PPIB and FPP as well as TESL students were invited to the talk. Earlier, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asmiaty Amat, Deputy Dean (Research & Community Service) of PPIB, gave a welcoming speech and at the end of the seminar presented a souvenir to Dr. Daron as a token of appreciation.

The Brown Bag Seminar Series features local and international speakers sharing and highlighting their research in the fields of languages and linguistics - two very rich sources of research data on Sabah's indigenous communities.

Individuals or organizations interested to give a talk at the Brown Bag Seminar session may contact Dr. Jeannet Stephen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Head, Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah. js/bbssll-4-2018