The Emergence of English Language Education in Non-english Speaking Asian Countries

This chapter aims to provide a snap shot of the rise of English language education in non-English speaking Asian countries. It begins with the key notion that the twenty-first century is the Asian century with the rise of many big economies across this content: China, India, Japan, the four Asian tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore), and recent Asian tiger cubs (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines). The authors argue that in order to sustain their economies, these Asian countries need a skilled workforce who are proficient in foreign languages, especially English—the international language of business. On that premise, the chapter continues to provide a brief review of English language policies and how such policies have been implemented in multiple Asian countries. The chapter points out key drivers of the development of English language policies, with socio-economic development seeming to be the key driver. The authors question the relationship between English language education and employability and the effectiveness of current English language education in preparing the future workforce. They call for further research to address such a literature gap.