ABSTRACT
This chapter presents language education policy (LEP) formulation between 1999 and 2016 in basic and secondary education, with brief reference to recurrent and higher education. The case of Timor-Leste presents a rich opportunity to study the discourses that shape LEP in an aid-dependent polity in a globalised world order. While the country is not as multilingual as some of its Southeast Asian neighbours, the distribution of languages presents logistical challenges. The use of Tetun-Dili has increased since 2004 but it is mainly spoken as a second language and is dominant only in Dili and Ermera districts. Language, Stroud argues, is a semiotic site where battles over definitions of social reality and cultural authenticity can be fought. The Education Act formalises Tetun and Portuguese as teaching languages throughout education. Teachers have had to adapt to major shifts in language policymaking and to contend with unclear and often unworkable directives.
