JOHOR BAHRU, May 15 – Amidst the cosy and creatively filled ambience of Perpustakaan Raja Zarith Sofiah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Johor Bahru, Festival of Languages and Cultures (FLC) 2025 continued with the revelry of diversity on its second day through “Language and Culture Workshop 3 – Threads of Identity: Weaving Culture through Language and Expressions.”
The workshop was led by Ann Carlie Gaton Abalena, a faculty member of Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U), Philippines. The workshop was an experiential, participatory one that had a mixed group of participants, including students from universities, staff members, and foreign delegates. Most of the participants were foreign students from Algeria, Egypt, Somalia, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the hosting country, Malaysia.
This workshop began with a brief but interesting introduction by Abalena to the Filipino language and culture, setting the tone for a very interactive activity. All the participants were given a white sheet of paper and were asked to draw a picture that would symbolise something from their culture. In addition to the drawing, they were also asked to come up with a word, phrase, or sentence—pictorially inspired or totally unconnected—that would represent a cultural belief or value they would like to express.
This activity resulted in an inquiry into personal identity, where language was both medium and message. Several participants were asked to present their artwork and accompanying words at the front, generating a shared experience and intercultural consciousness among the numerous participants.
As the writer of this article and a participant in the workshop, the writer had a chance to exchange a few words with Abalena during the workshop. The writer explained to Abalena that one of the most memorable scenes in a Filipino television drama, which she has watched, was when one of the characters said, “Anak ko lalaki!“—a line which is directly translated to Malay as “Anakku lelaki” or “My son” in English. The author expressed her amazement at the dramatic similarities in the consonance of pronunciation, spelling, and meaning of the Tagalog and Malay languages. Abalena responded with similar awe, and the author pondered how these similarities point to the shared roots of Austronesian languages.
This exchange led to the writer’s brief retrospect on the evolution of regional languages, albeit on the impact of colonialism, trade, and migration on language formation across Southeast Asia. It was a powerful reminder of how intertwined our histories of language are, even across national borders.
Later during the workshop, Abalena opened the floor to feedback on how languages and cultures can be preserved and passed on to future generations. Soliciting the writer’s thoughts, the writer suggested documentation as a first method, through transcription, video recordings, and storytelling. Another participant suggested content creation on social media, as younger generations are capable of accessing and interacting with linguistic and cultural heritage in ways that are meaningful and relevant.
Abalena strongly agreed, emphasising the role of documentation, creativity and technology in the perpetuation of traditions, particularly in passing down the languages and cultures to the next generation. She ended the session with a warm invitation to everyone to visit the Philippines and be enveloped in the beauty of its language, expressions, and multicultural traditions.
The workshop left the participants with not just a greater appreciation of Filipino culture but also a rediscovered appreciation of their own linguistic and cultural identity. “Threads of Identity” was indeed faithful to its title, demonstrating that although language is diverse, it remains a strong thread that unites us all across borders, histories, and generations.