Customer Reviews

Malay for Everyone: Mastering Malay Through English (Pelanduk pocket)

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This book is one of the best available in a concise format for English speakers to learn Malay, the language spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia (with some minor variation). I lived in Malaysia almost four years and formally studied Indonesian at the university level for over three years on a language fellowship. With that background, I can say that this is the most useful single text I have seen. The organization is very clear and logical, explanations are sharp and crisp, there are plenty of succinct examples, the exercises are practical and accessible, and the vocabulary covered is excellent for everyday life. The organization also allows you to pick and choose what you want to concentrate on, i.e. to devise your own organization to some extent.

I spent 6 months in South East Asia and was determined to master the Malay Language. As you may know both the Malays and the Indonesians speak a very similar language known as Bahasa.

If you want to learn the Malay 'Bahasa Malaysia' then this book is perfect. It takes you through a number of lessons and by the end you really have a good grasp on this simple language. By taking the courses again and again and thus repeating the book you can develop a stronger handle on Bahasa and you are then ready to start practising!

Bahasa Malayu (Malay) is very useful when in SE Asia in Malaysia and Singapore. Some Indonesians will be able to understand but you may need to adjust some words and pronounciations - similar to two people one from the UK and the other from the US with a strong American accent.

Good Luck.

This is by far the best book on learning the Malaysian language I have come across for the English speaker. The book is divided into many small chapters, each with a single theme which is explained clearly and succinctly. It is a very easy book to read, even if you only want a general overview of the language. The author's explanation of the different types uses of personal pronouns alone makes this book a worthwhile purchase.