The Centre for Modern Languages and Literature seeks to study and develop knowledge of the application of modern languages in society, media and discourse. It also aims to develop Malaysian literary works aimed at furthering our cultural and linguistic heritage.
Its  mission is to:

• Conduct applied research in high impact projects
• Share research and other forms of knowledge across disciplines and education systems
• Extend, exchange, and apply this knowledge in the wider society and local community
• Develop research and enterprise partnerships with other institutions and communities
• Engage in collaborative links with other institutions of higher learning and think-tanks to produce academic studies that will be of value to nation-building

• Language Acquisition
• Sociolinguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Language and Identity
• Language and Media
• Cross-cultural communication
• Language and gender
• Youth culture and language
• Malaysian-Singaporean Literature in English
• 20th Century British/American Drama
• Postcolonial Literatures
• Sci-fi and Fantasy Literature
• Creative Writing
• Contemporary /Modern Literature
• The role of English: Challenges of Globalization
• Language and Globalization
• Communication in the Workplace