English as a Lingua Franca in Asean: A Multilingual Model
Andy Kirkpatrick
Abstract
The lingua franca role of English, coupled with its status as the official language of ASEAN, has important implications for language policy and language education. These include the relationship between English, the respective national languages of ASEAN, and thousands of local languages. How can the demand for English be balanced against the need for people to acquire their national language and mother tongue? While many will also need a regional lingua franca, they are learning English as the first foreign language from primary school in all ASEAN countries. Might not this early introductio ... More
The lingua franca role of English, coupled with its status as the official language of ASEAN, has important implications for language policy and language education. These include the relationship between English, the respective national languages of ASEAN, and thousands of local languages. How can the demand for English be balanced against the need for people to acquire their national language and mother tongue? While many will also need a regional lingua franca, they are learning English as the first foreign language from primary school in all ASEAN countries. Might not this early introduction of English threaten local languages and children's ability to learn? Or can English be introduced and taught in such a way that it can complement local languages rather than replace them? The aim of this book is to explore questions such as these and then make recommendations on language policy and language education for regional policymakers.
Keywords:
lingua franca,
English,
official language,
ASEAN,
language policy,
language education,
national languages,
local languages
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2010 |
Print ISBN-13: 9789888028795 |
| Published to Hong Kong Scholarship Online: September 2011 |
DOI:10.5790/hongkong/9789888028795.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Andy Kirkpatrick, author
Chair Professor of English as an International Language at the Hong Kong Institute of Education and Director of the Institute's Research Centre into Language Education and Acquisition in Multilingual Societies
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