English in Southeast Asia

Abstract

While the historical emergence and present-day settings of English in Southeast Asia are highly varied, it is possible, nevertheless, to identify a number of key themes that can provide important insights into the changing status and properties of English in this region. In this regard, the chapter begins by selectively focusing on the history of English in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, in order to highlight how (post)colonization influences the ways in which English inserts itself into different countries. The chapter then draws attention to issues that are fundamental to understanding the contemporary development of English, such as neoliberalism, migration, and commodification. Retaining the earlier connection with the focus on (post)colonization, the chapter closes by considering possible strategies of decolonization as different Southeast Asian countries attempt to evolve beyond the constraints of exonormativity and linguistic insecurity.

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