The Sociolinguistics of Language Policy and Educational Reform in Southeast Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71435/742376Keywords:
Language Policy, Southeast Asia, Multilingual Education, BilingualismAbstract
Purpose: This study examines how language policies shape educational reform in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, focusing on national identity, global competitiveness, educational equity, and local-language preservation.
Subjects and Methods: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted using PRISMA 2020. The review covered literature published from 2015 to 2025 on language policy, multilingual education, bilingual education, mother-tongue education, and medium-of-instruction policy. Twenty-one eligible studies were included, comprising seven from Malaysia, six from Indonesia, and eight from the Philippines. Data were extracted and synthesized thematically and comparatively across four analytical dimensions. Methodological heterogeneity required qualitative thematic synthesis rather than meta-analysis.
Results: The findings show that language policy functions as both an educational and nation-building mechanism. National languages remain central to identity and social cohesion, while English supports internationalization, academic mobility, and economic opportunity. Malaysia emphasizes English-medium initiatives alongside Bahasa Melayu, Indonesia demonstrates multilingual coexistence between Bahasa Indonesia and English, and the Philippines provides institutionalization of mother-tongue education. Across contexts, implementation effectiveness depends on teacher preparedness, student proficiency, instructional resources, assessment, institutional support, and political continuity. Linguistic inclusion does not automatically produce improved educational outcomes, while English-medium education may generate unequal benefits.
Conclusions: Sustainable language reform requires alignment among policy objectives, institutional capacity, teacher agency, learner needs, resources, assessment systems, and political commitment. Language reform should therefore be approached as a policy-alignment process rather than a simple choice between languages.
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