Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v27i1.5990
Shifting Language Policies from Multilingualism to Bilingualism in Singapore: A Literature Review
Eftima Khalil
orcid.org/0000-0003-4240-0873
; Near East University, Research Centre for Applied Linguistics (RCAL)Ajdabiya University, Department of English Language Education
Çise Çavuşoğlu
orcid.org/0000-0002-0832-7142
; Atatürk Teacher Training Academy, Department of Teacher Education
Sažetak
Singapore has earned its reputation as one of the highest-achieving education systems worldwide, as indicated by the recent results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In this success story, the transition from multilingualism to bilingualism has been one of the most significant modifications to their education system over the years. Therefore, the purpose of this review paper is to examine how Singaporeans, whose proficiency in English was not very high until a few years ago, introduced English as their medium of instruction (EMI) in the education system, and to explore the educational and sociolinguistic challenges associated with this shift as reported in previous studies. The paper follows a scoping review methodology and presents a synthesis of 30 meticulously selected research articles from various databases, including EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Science Direct, spanning the last 22 years, to understand the complexities and implications of the changing language policies in general, and in education in particular. The results of the analysis indicate that, by adopting the EMI model and by conducting strategically planned language examinations, the Singapore government has successfully attained its goal of becoming an economic hub through bilingualism and remained closely connected to its cultural heritage. Nevertheless, some of these pro-English bilingual policies need to be considered in light of the multilingual nature of everyday life in the country.
Ključne riječi
bilingualism; English as a medium of instruction; language policy; multilingualism; Singapore
Hrčak ID:
333389
URI
Datum izdavanja:
28.3.2025.
Posjeta: 193 *