In Asia, the English imperative
International Herald Tribune
October 15, 2002
Michael Richardson

After years of promoting a public education system based on use of the national language, Malay, the Malaysian government recently created a storm of controversy by seeking to promote the use of English, the former colonial language, in schools and universities.

This follows a decline in English standards and concern that Malaysia will lose its competitive edge in the global economy unless they improve. According to official statistics, barely 50 percent of Malaysians are literate in English, while up to 90 percent can speak, read and write Malay which is widely used in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia's move mirrors a new emphasis on English in many Asian countries that previously ignored the language in favor of national or vernacular tongues, notably Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan.

But as English has emerged as the leading international language, especially in science and technology, Asian nations that want to be significant players in the global economy or host major international events are finding that proficiency in English is a must, at least among their citizens who must interact with visiting foreigners.

Reflecting this trend, Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad of Malaysia said that English was the key to mastering scientific knowledge in the information age. "We have to acknowledge that English is the language of learning today," he said. "In the past, it was Arabic or even Latin, now it is English. We have to accept it, whether we like it or not."

Mahathir initially proposed that English-speaking secondary schools be reintroduced in Malaysia. But this drew protests from Malay, Chinese and Tamil groups that feared it would threaten their language and ethnic identity.

Language is a sensitive issue in multiracial Malaysia, where Malays make up about 60 percent of the 23 million population, Chinese 26 percent, and Indians 8 percent. Before independence from Britain in 1957, all subjects were taught in English. Schools now use Malay, Chinese or Tamil as the medium of instruction. English has been relegated to a separate but compulsory course. In most schools, it is confined to less than four hours of lessons a week.

Despite the opposition, Mahathir said that the government was committed to introducing the teaching of science and mathematics in English, starting next year.

He expressed concern that the country's various ethnic communities were drifting apart and argued that introducing English as a common language, in addition to Malay, could help draw Malaysians together. Neighboring Singapore has used English as the predominant medium of instruction in its schools for many years.

Matathir also noted that most books on science and mathematics are in English.

Such pragmatism underlies moves to raise the standard of English in other Asian countries. The Japanese government plans to send 1,000 senior high school students abroad next year on immersion programs to help them learn to speak better English. The students will spend three months in schools in English-speaking countries.

In addition, Japan's 60,000 English teachers working in public schools will undergo training during their summer vacations over the next five years to improve their command of the language.

Japanese students start learning English from the age of 13. Those who get to university will generally have had at least eight years of English. But few Japanese, including even their English teachers, can speak the language because the focus is on passing university entrance exams which test knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.

Japan's Education Ministry introduced measures in 2002 to improve the teaching of English following reports that other East Asian countries, including Japan's major rivals China and South Korea, are promoting English education in earnest.

In China, the learn-English campaign starts with President Jiang Zemin, whose ability to speak the language has improved to the point where he was able to chair in English the summit meeting of APEC, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Shanghai last October.

Many schools in large Chinese cities are teaching English as early as the first year of primary school even though the course is not mandatory at that level. The country's two most prestigious universities, Qinghua and Beijing, which have begun using American textbooks in their courses, plan to conduct lectures in English in disciplines such as economics, biology and information technology within the next couple of years.

The China Daily newspaper group has launched an English-language weekly for secondary school students, in another step to promote the learning of English before the summer Olympic Games that Beijing will host in 2008. - In Taiwan, English will be taught from primary school onwards from next year. At present, Taiwanese students start learning English in secondary school. To help overcome the shortage of English-language teachers, the Taiwan government plans to hire foreign teachers and intensify training. Other Asian countries, including Malaysia, are doing the same. Taiwan and China are adopting English for similar reasons; both are new entrants in the World Trade Organization and recognize the importance of English in an increasingly globalized world. Pressure to learn English in Asia comes not just from governments but from parents who see it leading to better jobs and incomes for their children. In South Korea, for example, parents will spend hefty sums on tuition at English-language kindergartens and as much as $50 an hour for English tutors. English instruction is estimated to be a $3 billion-a-year industry in South Korea — and that does not include the thousands of South Korean students sent abroad to hone their English skills. Michael Richardson is senior Asia-Pacific correspondent of the International Herald Tribune.

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