LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING

Spolsky (2004): Language policy and

planning refer to interconnected
elements that consist of language
management, language beliefs or
ideology, and language practices
language policy and planning pave
the way to shape societies around the globe
by selecting specific languages, codifying and
standardizing the language, planning the
language in an educational context, and
adding the language values (Catherine, 2019)
A NEW MODEL OF BILINGUALISM FOR
SINGAPORE: MULTILINGUALISM IN THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Singapore

Three main ethnic

groups:
Chinese
Malay
Indian
 Language learning, power &
economy development
English has enabled many Singaporeans to connect with the rest of English-speaking world

Multilingualism: language learning is a human capital investment

Investment in language learning in Singapore is more than just individual development; it is
about good investment from the perspective of the Singapore economy as a whole.

Learning Mandarin in Singapore

Unification of the Singaporean Chinese More Singaporeans to tap onto the growth of the
or inheriting the Chinese culture Chinese economy
Language planning
Status planning
British English was selected as the variety to use

Corpus planning: codification and standardization

Inherited from the British – use British norms
Local English teachers were trained to teach the chosen variety

Acquisition planning: language in education

The main medium of instruction in schools

Prestige planning: interventions by the government, add value

"Speak Good English Movement"
"English+1 "policy
 Historical A summary of the key milestones in the Singapore Education system
(Adapted from MOE 2011)
background

English as L1 for all

Education system & public
language campaigns
Succeed: TIMMS
 A summary of Singaporean language policy from 1966 to 2012

Pragmatism Elitism Meritocracy Multiracialism

Key the importance of ethnic
commitment to rationality benevolent rule should an individual’s merits are obtained
Language and practical results be by the most able through his/her hard work and not tolerance and respect
on his/her race, ethnicity, or for all the different
policies and virtuous
language background ethnic groups
A NEW VIEW OF BILINGUALISM:
“ENGLISH + 1” + (I) MODEL

English as the lingua franca

Immigration: economic beneficial
Competitive advantage
Multilingual speaker and economic
opportunities
BICS for the additional language
Utilitarian approach to language

CHALLENGES

Resources & manpower more complex planning unnecessary & waste

Public rejection qualified teacher of resources
curriculum design
 THE DEVELOPMENTS OF LANGUAGE POLICY IN INDONESIA

The colonial period and the choice of Malay --> The Japanese Period --> Post Indepence

POST INDEPENDENCE
on August 17th 1945, Bahasa Indonesia was stated as the official language by
Constitution
“A Perfectness General Guide for the Spelling of Indonesian”
From 1964 to 1988, Bahasa Indonesia was used in all television program, radio,
newspapers and magazines
English and local languages were used very little to protect Indonesians and their
language from foreign effects
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF LANGUAGE POLICY IN INDONESIA
Indonesia
2006: Launching program
2013: Cancelling program
Why?
Disloyal to Indonesian values
Against ‘Sumpah Pemuda’
Marketization
Teachers in Asia
Do not have sufficient English
Are not prepared to teach in
English (or other additional
language)
Do not have a goal/orientation
toward mastering and teaching
English
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!