Language is more than communication.

Understanding how it works opens the door to culture, meaning and connection.

Are you interested to be a true bilingual? The Minor/Second Major in Malay Language and Literature will introduce you not just to the study of the Malay language as an academic subject but also to the understanding of how languages work. You will appreciate the Malay language from its cultural, literary and applied aspects and truly understand its application in education, translation, interpretation, the media and the arts today.

Career Prospects

Students who take the Minor/Second Major in Malay Language and Literature will be well placed to pursue a career in education as our students are well received in pursuing a career in teaching. We have annual recruitment visits by MOE to speak to our students in pursuing teaching as a career.

Our alumni also are working in diverse fields of translation and interpretation in government agencies, the law courts and at Mediacorp. Your excellent skills and knowledge of the Malay language will place you in an enviable position to pursue a career in publication, translation and journalism.

Curriculum

Hear from Our Students & Partners

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MLL303 students' visit to the Singapore Zoo to build Malay language learning materials

Anuwar Bin Arrifin, Senior Editor Mediacorp

The Bachelor of Arts in Malay Language and Literature program offered by SUSS provides students with a strong foundation in Malay language, literature, sociology, and cultural studies. From my point of view, it is meticulously designed to produce graduates who can adapt effectively to professional environments, with the program emphasizing on critical thinking, effective communication, and the practical application of knowledge.

Malay Language Unit, Mother Tongue Languages Branch, Curriculum Planning and Development Division 1, MOE

The Minor and Second Major in Malay Language and Literature curriculum offered is thoughtfully sequenced. Students begin with foundational courses in linguistics and literature before progressing to more specialised areas such as phonetics, interpretation, and translation. This scaffolded approach ensures that learners build relevant competence at each stage. Courses like MLL307 Two-Way Translation and MLL315 Malay Consecutive Interpretation are well-conceived in the way they bridge the academic and the applied.

It is notable that the curriculum does not treat Malay in isolation. By including Modern Indonesian Literature and Classical Malay Literature alongside contemporary Singapore Malay Theatre, the programme situates the language within a broader regional and historical context. This gives students a richer, more nuanced understanding of Malay as a living, evolving language.

The programme does not funnel students towards a single career path. Instead, it deliberately cultivates a range of competencies—linguistic, literary, pedagogical, and applied—that open doors across education, translation, interpretation, journalism, the media, and the arts. A student who completes this programme can contribute meaningfully to sectors that are critical to the vitality of the Malay language in Singapore.