There has been much discussion about the falling standards of English in Malaysia. But in the process of trying to improve our usage of English, are we neglecting the use of Malay, particularly when it comes to academic research? And how does this link to the national debate on whether to teach science and maths in English? We speak with sociologist Prof Syed Farid Alatas about academic imperialism and why we should worry less about our standard of English and more about creating a culture of mediocrity.