Foreigner and Foreign in English-language Newspapers in Malaysia: A Framesemantic Approach

Yamaguchi, T. and Yeo, H. (2015) Foreigner and Foreign in English-language Newspapers in Malaysia: A Framesemantic Approach. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 21 (2). pp. 103-114. ISSN 0128-5157, DOI https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2015-2102-08.

Full text not available from this repository.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/3L-2015-2102-08

Abstract

This paper explores the usage of two morphologically related words, foreign and foreigner, in two major daily English-language newspapers circulated widely in Malaysia. On the basis of 285 tokens, the study shows a striking tendency indicating that they do not share exactly the same semantic content. While foreign is used neutrally to modify things or people from a country other than Malaysia, foreigner is found frequently in four negative contexts (running illegal businesses, entering Malaysia illegally, bringing diseases to Malaysia, and misusing marriage in Malaysia). Using Fillmore's frame as a theoretical construct, the study seeks to explain why foreigner tends to correlate with negative connotations, while foreign does not. The central idea is that the PERSON attribute attached to foreigner invokes positive/neutral and negative values, and that the semantics of foreigner and foreign incorporates our schematic knowledge about everyday life. In conclusion, these results are stated to shed light on 'the changing tenor of English' in Malaysia.

Item Type: Article
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords: English-language newspapers in Malaysia; Foreign; Foreigner; Frame; PERSON attribute
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PE English
Divisions: Faculty of Languages and Linguistics
Depositing User: Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim
Date Deposited: 26 Sep 2018 02:52
Last Modified: 26 Sep 2018 02:52
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/19416

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item