Navigating Language Transition in Education: Lived Experiences of Tamil-Medium Students in Malaysia

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of Tamil-medium primary school graduates in Malaysia as they transition to Bahasa Melayu (BM)-medium secondary schools, focusing on linguistic, academic and emotional adjustment. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study collected data through small-group interviews with 20 Form One students and semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers from national secondary and Tamil primary schools. Findings show that students’ adjustment to the new medium of instruction (MOI) varied with their prior BM exposure and the linguistic and relational support available during the transition. Although all students progressed directly to Form One, some continued to experience difficulties with academic vocabulary, subject learning and assessment demands in BM. Family preparation, peer support, teacher scaffolding and multilingual classroom practices facilitated adjustment, though the availability and continuity of such support varied across contexts. The study conceptualises the MOI shift as an uneven ecological transition, demonstrating that adjustment to a new instructional language is shaped not by linguistic proficiency alone, but by the interaction of relational, educational, institutional and broader structural conditions. The findings highlight the importance of recognising MOI adjustment as a continuing process beyond formal entry into secondary schooling.