ABSTRACT
Education institutions are regarded as agents for consolidating national identity and societal cohesion and also for producing a talent pool for the country. This chapter addresses the many English language situations in Malaysia focusing on regional and international developments that are taking place especially in the ASEAN context. It describes the national, regional and international language ecology. The chapter explores future trends and develops views on what should be done to manage the language ecology given the changes taking place at the regional and global level. The geo-political, demographic, linguistic and cultural space of Malaysia and Southeast Asia has ensured that language contact has always been pervasive. The chapter discusses the effects of English as a lingua franca in South-East Asia and of ASEAN’s language policies and suggests ways of mediating its repercussions. Education is the key to achieving a balance between Malay and English at the national level and the promotion of English for ASEAN and global markets.
