Title: Globalization
1Globalization Language Policy Responses in
Asian Contexts
- Symposium on Language Issues in EMI Universities
Across Asia - 8-9 June 2006
- Amy B.M. Tsui
- The University of Hong Kong
2(No Transcript)
3The three circles of English (Crystal, 2003, p.
61)
4The Spread of English
- Is English still spreading?
- Is the spread of English orchestrated / fostered
and to whose benefit? - Are there forces and processes transcending the
English mother-tongue world which may also be
contributing to the continued spread of English? -
Fishman (1996)
5Globalization
- Characteristics of globalization
- Interconnectivity
- Intensity
- Instantaneity
- Simultaneity
- Mediational Tools (global literacy skills)
- Information technology
- English
6The Spread of English
- Is the spread of English cultural-linguistic
imperialism / neo-colonialism or the
democratization of an elitist resource? - Is English a tool for economic exploitation or a
multinational tool that enables former colonized
regions to participate in the world capitalist
system? - Does the spread of English necessarily lead to
the displacement of local languages and cultural
identities? -
7The Spread of English
- English is the inter-national language par
excellence at the close of the twentieth century,
and the first language of millions of people
Many people, , of Africa, India and Europe are
fully fluent in English, even speak it as their
principal language, with no loss of their
cultural identity (Conrad, 1996, p. 21, authors
emphasis)
8Questions Addressed
- Is English perceived as a multinational tool or
an imperialistic tool? - What are Asian countries language policy
responses to globalization? - Do these policies lead to the democratization of
English as an elitist resource? - Or do they legitimate the hegemony of English and
the cultural domination of the West? - How do Asian countries resolve the paradox of
preserving national cultural identities and
promoting a foreign language and Western cultures?
9Language Policy Responses to Globalization
- Components of Language Policy
- Language management
- Language practices language varieties language
use and language pedagogy - Language ideology (Spolsky, 2004)
10Language Management
- Learning English as a national mission
- The status of English
- as an official language
- as a second / working language
- as a medium of instruction
- Curriculum time and resources
11Learning English as a National Mission
- China Learning English is for the whole nation
- English study fever (yingyu re)
- No. of CET test takers
- 10,000 (1994) to 9.5 million (2004)
12Learning English as a National Mission
- Japan Cultivation of Japanese with English
abilities (MEXT 2002 White Paper) - National Strategy and Action Plan
- Ability to interact socially in English for all
Japanese - A working knowledge of English for all Japanese
professionals
13Learning English as a National Mission
- South Korea young uh yul poong (English study
fervor) - Six priority areas for development since 1995
- Korean culture and Korean way of thinking (i.e.,
consciousness) - English language education focus of educational
reform
14Learning English as a National Mission
- Malaysia English and national interest
- Bahasa Malaysia has been given pride of place
as the national language. The time has come to
give English significant priority. It will be in
the national interest to do so. In fact, the
national interest demands it. (Singh, 1993, Dec
29, p.3, cited in Gill, 2004, p. 144)
15English as an official language MOI
- Japan
- Proposal to adopt English as a second official
language (2000) - Establish 100 super high schools using English
as MOI by 2005 - South Korea
- Proposals to adopt English an official English,
to make English the new mother tongue (1999) - Proposals created a second crisis after
Japanese occupation (Yim, 2003)
16English as an official language MOI
- Malaysia
- 26 (1958-1983 / 1985) years to complete
Malay-medium education at all levels of education
- 1993 / 1996 English as MOI re-introduced at
tertiary level - 2003 starting from P1, S1 S6 for science and
math - China
- English as MOI in private schools
- English as MOI for science technology in some
tertiary institutions
17English as an official language MOI
- Cambodia
- English displaced French as preferred medium
- Vietnam
- English adopted as a second language over and
above former colonial languages - Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Bangladesh
- English as MOI
- Language policy dictated by linguistic
preferences of international aid agencies
18Resolving the Paradox Reconstructing National
Cultural Identity through the discourse of
English
- A national culture is a discourse a way of
constructing meaning which influences and
organizes both our actions and our conceptions of
ourselves National cultures construct
identities by producing meanings about the
nation with which we can identify these are
contained in the stories which are told about it,
memories which connect its present with its past,
images which are constructed of it. (Stuart
Hall, 1996, p. 613, original emphasis)
19Elements of Identity Construction
- Uniqueness of a nation or national culture
- Shared historical memory
- Future adversities and achievements of the nation
- Origin, continuity, tradition and timelessness of
the nation
20Resolving the Paradox
- China Re-defining national greatness HK
- Japan Deconstructing English and reaffirming
Japaneseness - South Korea English as a new language of
nationalism - Malaysia Reconstructing nationalism through
English - Singapore National identity crafted in English
with Asian images
21China Re-defining national greatness
- Only by constantly improving our economic
strength, national defense strength, and national
cohesiveness, can we remain invincible amidst
increasingly intensive international competition
and truly safeguard our national sovereignty and
national pride. (Jiang Zhemin Cited in Moore,
2000, p.122 )
22China Re-defining national greatness
- I hope all the classes will be taught in
English. I dont worship foreign languages, but
we need to exchange our ideas with the rest of
the world. (Zhu Rongji, China varsities to teach
in English, 2001, September 20, cited in Gill,
2004). - Hong Kong Resinicization and
retention of EMI education
23Japan Deconstructing English reaffirming
Japaneseness
- 1994 assimilation of foreign culture must be
changed - 1998 cultivation of Japanese identity as one of
the - aims of the national curriculum
- 2003 learning Japanese is a prerequisite for
learning - English
- Deconstructing English is removing English from
the core identity of Japan by treating it as a
mere technical tool and by reaffirming the unique
cultural values and qualities of the Japanese,
hence maintaining cultural independence from the
West (Hashimoto, 2000, p. 49)
24S. Korea English curriculum as a mediating tool
for national identity construction
- In order to win, know your enemy better.
Koreans can only overtake its competitors by
getting intimately familiar with them (Yim,
2003, p. 42)
25S. Korea English curriculum as a mediating tool
for national identity construction
- Koreans are very proud of their language. Their
language is called Korean. Written Korean is
called Hangeul. It was invented in 1443
Hangeul is very easy to read and write. So almost
every Korean can read and write. In some
countries people cannot read or write because
their written language is too difficult. This is
not true in Korea. - My history teacher says that it Korean
history goes back as far as five thousand years
ago. Koreans are very proud of our long history.
-
(Ji Hak Sa II, Lesson 10)
26Malaysia Reconstructing nationalism through
English
- Learning the English language will reinforce
the spirit of nationalism when it is used to
bring about development and progress for the
country. True nationalism means doing
everything possible for the country, even if it
means learning the English language (Mahathir
Mohamad, The Sun, Sept 11, 1999, my emphasis).
27Malaysia Reconstructing nationalism through
English
- We believe that a nationalist is someone who
has acquired all the knowledge and mastered all
the skills and is capable of contesting against
the rest of the world. But they (some Malaysians)
think that just being able to speak Malay makes
you a nationalist, and that is wrong. (Mahathir
Mohamad, New Straits Times, December 29, 2000)
28Singapore National identity crafted in English
with Asian images
- A uniquely Singaporean identity is being
crafted in English, but with Asian imagery and
imagination. A major paradox is that English
has emerged as the only contender for the supra
link language to express a uniquely Singaporean
identity and yet it is at the same time perceived
to be the channel for avant garde,
pseudo-westernized behaviours as opposed to
conservative beliefs and practices grounded in
and transmitted via ethnic languages. (Pakir,
2004, p. 124-125)
29Democratization of English English as a
resource for democratization
- Is English perceived as a multinational tool or
an imperialistic tool? - What are Asian countries language policy
responses to globalization? - Do these policies lead to the democratization of
English as an elitist resource? - Or do they legitimate the hegemony of English and
the cultural domination of the West? - How do Asian countries resolve the paradox of
preserving national cultural identities and
promoting a foreign language and Western
cultures?
30- There are so many different languages in the
world. Korean is the language of Korea, and
Japanese is the language of Japan. Is English
especially important because it is spoken by so
many different countries? What about Chinese
which is spoken by the large number of people?
One language can be more important than another.
Think of English, which has become an
international language. However, the most
important language to anyone is the language he
uses in his everyday life. To us Korean, the
mother tongue is Korea. (The history of Korean
language continues. ) Many Koreans think that it
is better than any other alphabet in the world.
It is right for us to love our own language. (Ji
Hak Sa, cited in Yim, 2003, p. 17)
31Amy B. M. Tsui James W. Tollefson (Eds.) (2006)
Language Culture and Identity in Asian Contexts.
Mahwah, N.J. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
James W. Tollefson Amy B. M. Tsui (Eds.) (2004)
Medium of Instruction Policies Whose Agenda?
Which Agenda? Mahwah, N.J. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.