Professor (Dr) Maya Khemlani David has been renowned for her lifetime contribution to Sociolinguistics especially the language of diaspora communities. She was a Professor of Sociolinguistics in the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics of the Universiti Malaya, Malaysia and is currently Honorary Professor with the Asia-Europe Institute in the Universiti Malaya.
Professor Maya David has published widely and is the author of more than 204 journal articles and book chapters that have been cited more than 530 times on ResearchGate. Prof. Maya has been associated with the International Association of Research Scholars (IARS) for some time and currently serves the association as Honorary Vice Chairman of IARS. She was honored with the global “LINGUAPAX AWARD” for her continuous efforts in the promotion of the revitalization of world linguistic diversity to contribute to dialogue and peace.
She received the Linguapax Award in 2007 and is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, United Kingdom, and an Honorary Member of the Foundation of Endangered Languages. As a sociolinguist, Dr. David has a special interest in discourse analysis, languages in Malaysian minority communities, and the role of language in establishing and maintaining national unity within and across cultures.
She is a Visiting Scholar, College for Women and also a consultant (ELT) for Kinnaird College, both in Lahore, Pakistan. She also is Hon. Academic Consultant, London College of Clinical Hypnosis. She holds an Executive Diploma in Coaching and also in Counselling. Her publications include Malaysian Indian: Sociocultural Assimilation towards the Malay Majority (2012, Tanjung Malim, UPSI, Malaysia), Leadership Discourse of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad (2010, Shah Alam, UPENA), Code-Switching in Malaysia (2009, Frankfurt, Peter Lang) and The Sindhis of Malaysia: A Sociolinguistic Account (2001, London, ASEAN), and her co-edited and edited publications are National Planning and Language Shifts in Malaysian Minority Communities: Speaking in Many Tongues (2011, IIAS/ICAS, University of Amsterdam Press), Politeness in Malaysian Family Talk (2008, Serdang: UPM), Language and Human Rights: Focus on Malaysia (2007, Serdang: UPM), Language and the Power of the Media (2006, Frankfurt, Peter Lang), Language Choices and Discourse of Malaysian Families: Case Studies of Families in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2006, Petaling Jaya, Strategic International and Research Development Centre), Teaching of English in Second and Foreign Language Settings: Focus on Malaysia (2004, Frankfurt, Peter Lang), and Developing Reading Skills (2002, Kuala Lumpur: Melta/Sasbadi).