The Present: English-Only Ideologies and Their Regional Implications

This chapter examines the current situation of English in ASEAN and the Southeast Asian region. This unfolding of English can be associated with the de-facto and de-jure adoption of English as the sole working language of ASEAN in the past six decades. Specifically, the chapter examines the dominant ideologies of English including English for development and the hegemony of English based on the participants’ views and perspectives. Theoretically, the chapter provides a critical analysis of the Diffusion-of-English paradigm and the key fallacies of English language education, linking the potential operation of linguistic imperialism. A key point of interest in the chapter is the relationship between the ASEAN English-only policy and the hegemony of English in the member-countries. The chapter also examines the ‘neutrality’ principle guiding ASEAN LPP as the member-states are subjected to inequalities of English.