Language planning and policy plays a vital role in language maintenance and language shift studies. In this study, the purpose was to examine the role of human agents in Chinese community language maintenance in Malaysia, specifically in Penang, due to its long history of being a Chinese settlement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 participants from three groups. Haugen’s (1972) 10 ecological questions were employed to assist in data analysis. The findings showed that at the macro level, the Penang Government, the official actors did not play an important role in maintaining Chinese community languages in Penang, while at the meso and micro levels, the Chinese community in Penang and individual parents, the community-based and grassroots actors put in many efforts to ensure that the younger generation continues to learn and speak Chinese community languages. This study contributes to a deep understanding of the roles played and efforts made by three groups of human agents, macro, meso, and micro, in Chinese community language maintenance at three levels of organisation in Penang and that they differ due to socioeconomic pressure.

中文翻译：

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代理人在马来西亚华人社区语言维护中的作用

语言计划和政策在语言维护和语言转换研究中起着至关重要的作用。在这项研究中，目的是研究人类特工在马来西亚（特别是槟城）的华人社区语言维护中的作用，这是因为它是华人聚居地的悠久历史。来自三组的46位参与者进行了半结构化访谈。Haugen（1972）提出了10个生态问题来协助数据分析。调查结果显示，在宏观层面上，槟城政府在维护槟城华人社区语言方面没有发挥重要作用，而在中观和微观层面上，槟城华人社区和父母个人，来自社区和基层的演员做出了许多努力，以确保年轻一代继续学习和讲汉语。这项研究有助于深入了解槟城三个组织级别的三组人类行为者（宏观，中观和微观）在华人社区语言维护中所起的作用和做出的努力，并且由于社会经济压力而有所不同。