PERCEPTIONS OF BIDAYUH ON IMPORTANCE OF THE BIDAYUH LANGUAGE

Bidayuh is an indigenous group living in Sarawak, Malaysia. The study examined the perceptions of Bidayuh people on the importance of the Bidayuh language. The specific aspects studied were the reasons for the importance of the Bidayuh language and the connotative associations of the language. Questionnaire data were obtained from 61 Bidayuh participants from Sarawak. Results showed the participants felt that the Bidayuh language is important because of government agencies and non-governmental organisations looking after the customary laws, culture and language of the Bidayuh. They also felt that the presence of highly-educated Bidayuh and Bidayuh leaders in the community, as well as the Bidayuh population in Sarawak, contributed to the importance of the Bidayuh language. These could have led to perceptions of Bidayuh as a prestigious language. The participants felt that the Bidayuh language will be stronger if it is taught in school because there are currently inadequate written materials in Bidayuh. The Bidayuh language is valued as an ethnic marker but not for instrumental purposes. The Bidayuh language is not seen as a language for rural and old people, suggesting that there is room for the intergenerational transmission of the Bidayuh language to the younger generation in urban areas