Investigating Malay language acquisition among IIUM international students: a processability theory analysis

Mohd Khair, Muhammad Amzar Hakimi and Mohamed Salleh, Rabiah Tul Adawiyah and Syed Uzir, Sharifah Fatin Athira (2026) Investigating Malay language acquisition among IIUM international students: a processability theory analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELLING (IJEPC), 11 (64). pp. 280-301. E-ISSN 0128-164X

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Abstract

This study investigates Malay morphosyntactic acquisition among four international undergraduate students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) using Processability Theory (PT). Adopting a qualitative multiple case study design, the study collected data through semi-structured interviews and flashcard elicitation tasks targeting vocabulary, derivational morphology, phrasal constructions, and yang-clause production. Two research questions guided the study: (1) what lexical and morphological forms do international students acquire after completing a foundational Malay language course? and (2) which PT developmental stages have these learners reached in Malay? Lexical analysis showed variation across participants. Participant A produced the highest output, with 70 types and 148 tokens, followed by Participant D with 43 types and 60 tokens, Participant C with 34 types and 67 tokens, and Participant B with 31 types and 63 tokens. Morphological analysis showed that all participants used the derivational suffix -an across more than one verb stem, satisfying the emergence criterion for Category Procedure. All participants also produced verb phrase and noun phrase constructions consistent with Phrasal Procedure. Although all four participants attempted yang-clause constructions, none produced multiple independent instances with sufficient lexical variation. Phrasal Procedure is therefore the highest PT developmental stage reached by the learners. Participant A’s stronger performance appears to be linked to regular informal interaction with Malay-speaking peers, suggesting that input outside the classroom can support faster development. The findings indicate that one semester of formal instruction can help adult learners progress through the lower and intermediate PT stages in Malay, but productive use of higher-level syntactic structures requires more regular and extended exposure. The study extends PT research to adult Malay foreign language acquisition and offers pedagogical insights for university-level Malay language programmes.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Adult Language Acquisition, Developmental Stages, Malay as Foreign Language, Morphosyntax, Processability Theory
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of English Language & Literature Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Depositing User:	Rabiah Tul Adawiyah Mohamed Salleh
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2026 16:43
Last Update:	14 Sep 2026 16:43
Queue Number:	2026-09-Q5072
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/131219
Indexed In:	MyCite

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