English as Lingua Franca: Singapore’s Common Tongue

Abstract

Singapore is the only country in the Asian region that uses English as a working language. More than half of the children entering primary schools in recent years have English as a home language. All this is the result of Singapore’s language policy of English as lingua franca for communication within and beyond the country, a decision driven by a combination of pragmatic and political goals when the country became independent. Lee Kuan Yew believed that for the young nation of Singapore to not only survive but also thrive, its industries and people had to connect immediately with the global community, for which English was already a dominant language. Importantly, at home where English was perceived as a ‘neutral’ language, educating children in the language would level the playing field for all races to learn, communicate and work in. It would also assure ethnic minority groups of the government’s intention to build an equitable and fair society. These reasons for the adoption of English as Singapore’s common tongue are discussed in this chapter. In addition, paradoxes that have arisen from the implementation of the policy will also be discussed.