ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights classroom practices that demonstrate how some schools in Asia have approached the issue of diversity and the impact of globalization on this issue. Globalization and internationalization have unfortunately also brought a new form of neocolonialism. The emergence of English as a global language is leading to linguistic imperialism. The multilinguistic, multiethnic, and multireligious nature of the student population in many of the classrooms was very apparent. The chapter begins with a description of the language policies and the use of multiple languages in the early childhood classrooms of three countries that reflected the widest ethnic diversity in their urban school settings: Singapore, India, and Sri Lanka. The descriptions of and discussions on aspects of some early childhood classrooms in India, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives will provide a more detailed look into the environment, activities, and materials used in the classroom, and how local and global issues are reflected in the curriculum.
