Learn to Speak Malay

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Learn Malay
£19.99
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Origins of the Malay Language
Malay is a member of the Indonesian sub-group of the Malayo-Polynesian (Austronesian) family of languages.

Beginning in the 14th century, with the conversion of many Malays to Islam, a variation of the Arabic script known as Jawi was used for writing Malay.

How many people speak the Malay language?
Over 11 million people speak Malay as their first language.

Malay-speaking Countries
Malay is spoken in Malaysia (about 10 million), in neighbouring Thailand and Singapore. The Malay language spoken in Singapore is similar to that spoken in most parts of West Malaysia.

Screenshots from Talk Now! Learn Malay CD-ROM

Talk Now Malay CD-ROM Details

This is an excitingly different language learning series. Talk Now! uses games and quizzes as a basis for making the learning process fun, easy and relaxing. There is no better way to teach an old dog new tricks and this fun element of the program means that your fears are forgotten as you absorb words and phrases without even realising you are learning them.

Talk Now! is the world's best selling language learning CD-ROM series for beginners, used by more than three million people to date. It's ideal for travellers, holidaymakers, business people, schoolchildren, students and families.

Anyone over 10 years of age will find the disc indispensable for improving listening, understanding and spoken language skills. There are nine topics: first words, food, colours, phrases, parts of the body, numbers, time, shopping and countries.

The games and quizzes included on the disc ensure that users have fun whilst using the disc, without realising that they're learning. The "intelligent" software feature remembers words you get wrong and targets your weak points.

NOW includes Apple iPod integration, which allows you to listen to Talk Now Malay wherever you are!

Malay Music and Dance

Traditional music is centred on the gamelan, a stringed instrument and a variety of traditional flutes, cymbals and gongs. The lilting, hypnotic beats of Malaysian drums accompany the song of the gamelan. The rebana ubi, giant drums, were used to communicate from hill to hill but are now used as ceremonial instruments.

Characteristic Malay dances include the silat (derived from martial arts routines) and the candle dance. The Joget, Malaysia's most popular traditional dance, is a lively dance with an upbeat tempo. Among the many traditional Malay theatres, which combine dance, drama, and music, Mak Yong stands out as a classic court entertainment combining romantic stories, operatic singing and humour.

Malay Food and Drink

Malay food is famous for its spicy flavour, and there is no end to its variety. The Malay archipelago is the world's premier source of spices and the reason for original western colonisation. Malay dishes are distinguished by the liberal use of coconut milk (santan).

Rice forms the main staple of the Malays, and this is often taken with a variety of dishes: white rice, and for special occasions like weddings, nasi minyak, yellow rice cooked in ghee, is often served. A popular vegetable dish is ulam or lalap, which are raw vegetables taken with a dash of hot spicy sauce (sambal). The most popular of these is sambal belacan, a sauce made of fermented shrimps.

Popular dishes include: Satay - meat marinated in spices, then skewered through thin bamboo strips, and barbecued over charcoal fire. Nasi Lemak - A rice dish cooked in coconut milk is served with ikan bilis (anchovies), sambal, boiled egg, fried peanuts and cucumber slices. This is also a popular breakfast dish.

Malay Attractions

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur has grown quickly into a bustling city of a million people, but retains much of its original character and local colour. It has colonial buildings in its centre, vibrant street vendors and night markets. The Petronas Towers skyscrapers, the tallest building in the world, dominate the skyline.

Cameron Highlands The Cameron Highlands, in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia, comprise a series of hill stations at altitudes between 1500 and 1800m. It is the centre of Malaysia's tea industry and the place where locals and visitors come to escape the heat of the plains.

Customer Testimonials

"This is an excitingly different language learning series. Talk Now! Uses games and quizzes as a basis for making the learning process fun and relaxing." - PC Answers

"I bought your Learn Malay CD today - I've only just begun, but I wanted to say how much I am enjoying it. I studied Malay from a book all day yesterday, making some 25 pages of notes on grammar and vocab, but I remember more from your CD from just an hour!" - James Bryce

Full list of Talk Now Language CD-ROMs available to buy online in the UK.