Brief Study of Common Features Observable Across Asian Englishes; Case study of Singapore., Malaysia, Hong Kong and Philippines
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This paper examined the Common Features Observable Across Asian Englishes; Case study of Singapore., Malaysia, Hong Kong and Philippines. It is widely accepted that living languages change over time and space. English used in environments different from its origin adjusts and changes to suit its new environments. Looking back at the history of English, it is important to note that the contact with other languages has always been the major cause of linguistic change in English. It concluded that although the current emphasis on the importance of English in Asian education systems may be explained by reference to a number of historical, economic and educational factors linked to Asian modernity and the upward aspirations of the growing Asian middle class, it is salutary to consider that educationally and linguistically the promotion of English comes at a certain cost. The challenge for language education in the region is to consider critically how English is best taught and best used for pedagogical purposes, within complex multilingual education systems, an issue requiring sensitivity to local issues and the specific sociolinguistic contexts of diverse societies in the Asian region.
Keywords: Asian Englishes, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines
