ABSTRACT
South Asia is rich with a myriad of languages, dialects, and socio-cultural practices. Despite positive attitudes favouring minority languages and cultures, these are subjected to inequality and discrimination. Multilingualism in South Asia is characterised by a ‘double divide’ between the elitist language(s) of power and major regional languages and between the regional and minority languages. This ‘divide’ is causing an increasing loss of the region's linguistic fabric and marginalisation of indigenous and minority languages. While various governments’ language policies and practices are found conducive to EMI across the region, the attraction for EMI also stems from the belief that it enhances English language abilities, develops human capital, and facilitates access to the global economy, resulting in many educational institutions adopting EMI to internationalise and improve the quality of their education. However, inconsistent policies, poor implementation strategies, and uneven distribution of resources severely affect EMI adoption, causing capability deprivation and injustice to the minority and ethnic linguistic groups. This chapter examines the ideologies, debates and practical challenges related to EMI in South Asia, and sets the context for the following chapters, especially for the equity and social justice issues that surround EMI practices.
