The teaching of standard Malay in cross-border communities: An inquiry into the influence of the Patani dialect in Southern Thailand

The educational system in southern Selatan Thailand is different from that in other parts of the kingdom. This study examined the influence of Patani Malay dialect in the teaching of standard Malay in Southern Thailand classrooms. It identified those aspects of linguistics in Patani Malay dialect that affected Malay language teachers in the teaching of standard Malay. The focus was on the effect of words pronouncing, that is, on the aspects of phonetic changes. To achieve this objective the study utilised literature review and field research. Data were analyzed qualitatively. It was found that teachers who taught standard Malay were much influenced by the Patani Malay dialect, especially in terms of the articulation of words. This study proved that local dialect had a negative influence on the teaching of standard Malay in cross-border communities of Southern Thailand.