1. Language Policy, Language Teachers Beliefs, and Classroom Practices.
- Author
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Thomas S. C. Farrell and Serena Tan Kiat Kun
- Subjects
- *
EDUCATIONAL standards , *LANGUAGE planning , *COMMUNICATION policy , *LANGUAGE policy - Abstract
The widespread use of a local variety of English, Singapore Colloquial English, or Singlish, has become somewhat of a controversial issue in Singapore especially in the eyes of the Singapore government. For example, in 2002 the Singapore government launched The ‘Speak Good English Movement’ (SGEM) with the objective of promoting the use of Standard English among Singaporeans. Furthermore, Singapores newspapers have recently suggested that the responsibility for halting the deterioration (perceived or real) of the standards of English rests with Singapores English language teachers. The case study presented in this paper offers one lens from which to view a policy-to-practice connection by outlining the impact of language policy on the beliefs and classroom practices of three primary school teachers concerning the use of Singlish in their classrooms. The results confirm those of previous studies that teachers’ reactions to language policy is not a straightforward process and as such it is important to understand the role teachers play in the enactment of language policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008