THE Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) recently launched four books in conjunction with its two-day Brunei-Malaysia Forum.
The book launch was held during the conference dinner at the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, with FASS Dean Dr Hajah Asiyah Az-Zahra binti Haji Ahmad Kumpoh as the guest of honour.
Written and edited by the academic staff of the faculty, the books were published this year.
‘The Use and Status of Language in Brunei Darussalam: A Kingdom of Unexpected Linguistic Diversity’ offers readers an overview of the linguistic situation in Brunei, including a historical overview and a synopsis of the current education system.
Investigating pronunciation, particularly the intelligibility of Bruneian English and the vowels of Brunei Mandarin, it also describes the acquisition of Malay grammar, Malay conventions, the use of language online, language in the courts, a comparison of Malay and English newspapers, the language of shop signs and the status of Dusun and English literature in Brunei Darussalam.
Co-edited by Noor Azam bin OKMB Haji Othman, James McLellan and David Deterding, the book is published by Springer Verlag in Singapore.
‘Larger than life: Mural dreamscapes, a Teaching Artist’s Retrospective’ by Kong Ho of the FASS Art and Creative Technology programme, is published in the United States by Outskirts Press in Parker, Colorado.
FROM LEFT: Co-editors James McLellan, David Deterding and Noor Azam bin OKMB Haji Othman holding up ‘The Use and Status of Language in Brunei Darussalam: A Kingdom of Unexpected Linguistic Diversity’.
From Left: ‘Tujuh Serangkai: Dari Perspektif Sejarah’; ‘Larger Than Life: Mural Dreamscapes, A Teaching Artist’s Retrospective’; ‘English in Malaysia: Current Use and Status’; and ‘The Use and Status of Language in Brunei Darussalam: A Kingdom of Unexpected Linguistic Diversity’.
His study of community murals introduces readers to the founding history of mural projects in Hong Kong, where he was born, as well as a look into the impact of murals on the general community in terms of educational, social, cultural and historical contexts.
Demonstrating the outcomes of the close collaboration between two internationally-renowned research universities, ‘English in Malaysia: Current Use and Status’ contains contributions by a group of scholars in Malaysia and Brunei.
It also offers an account of the English language, as used in present-day West and East Malaysia, and its status anchored in different linguistic, social and educational domains.
After the preface on the status of English in Malaysia, the book’s eight main chapters explore several case studies revolving around four main themes: linguistic features, particularly pronunciation and language contact; language attitudes; on-line discourse; and language policies. Co-edited by Toshiko Yamaguchi and David Deterding, the book is published by Brill of Leiden, Netherlands.
‘Tujuh Serangkai: Dari Perspektif Sejarah’, written by Haji Asbol bin Haji Mail, Nani Suryani binti Haji Abu Bakar and Izzah Afiqiah binti Haji Abdullah from the FASS Historical Studies programme, is published by the Brunei History Centre.
It is an informative research into the respective roles and contributions of the Constitution Planning Committee in forming the Brunei Darussalam Constitution of 1959.
The book is intended to provide an in-depth understanding of that historic process, in order to inspire a greater sense of patriotism, respect and love for the country among the citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam.
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