Multilingualism and multiculturalism in Singapore

Abstract

With active language planning policies in force since its independence as a nation, the linguistic situation in Singapore has undergone dramatic changes in its 50 years of history. A number of linguistic issues have arisen as a result of these policies. These include a rapid shift in the languages used by Singaporeans to English only and the demise of the Chinese vernaculars. This presentation tracks the changing repertoire of Singaporeans across the three main ethnic groups over the last 50 years and makes projections of language needs and practices in the decades to come. The presentation will describe the language policies, planning, and implementation in Singapore and discuss the impact of such policies. This presentation draws on data from past and ongoing research on the attitudes and use of the varieties of English, on the maintenance and shift of the non-English official languages of Singapore, and the marginalization of elderly Chinese Singaporeans.

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