Last week I was sitting next to a Malay elderly lady while waiting outside the consultation room at the Polyclinic. She asked me something in Malay. I did not understand everything but I guessed she asked me if I had been waiting long. 10 minutes only. I gave her a three-word reply in Malay.
Then she started talking to me in Malay. Oh no, I don't understand. So I told her so with six Malay words - 'my malay no good cannot speak'. She understood and nodded.
Actually I took a Malay course for beginners long ago at night classes conducted by the Adult Education Board which had many courses for adults who wanted to improve themselves. There is no more AEB now. I think beginners was equivalent to mid-primary level.
Malay is our National Language, you know.
After many years of neglect and unuse, I think 95% of what I learnt were already forgotten. The title words belong to the remaining 5%. (Anyone knows if unuse can be used as a noun?)
So if you are learning a language or want to improve in it, you must use it - speak, read and write.
2 comments:
I think there is no such word as "unuse" but there is "unused". I think you can use "disuse" instead. Faham belum? Boleh tak? :)
just checked dictionary, right, no unuse
boleh, terima kasih!
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