French in Southeast Asia: Issues and Trends in Modern Language Policy

Abstract

The article deals with the region of Southeast Asia – the former Indochina as part of the research of the Francophonie area. French is used and taught in almost all countries in the region, of which four countries – Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand – were selected for this study in accordance with their membership in the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF). The relevance of the article is due to the fact that the rates of development of the French language in the Asian region are falling because of many factors, including the domination of the English and Chinese languages, the lack of clear language policy strategies, the closure of programs which support teaching French, and as a result – a lack of resources. The materials used for the article are statistical data from different years, reports of the activities of educational organizations to assess the dynamics, the French-speaking mass media of Vietnam, blogs, statements by local representatives of the political and intellectual elite to analyze the linguistic situation in the region. It turns out that the French-speaking Asian society faces a number of challenges: improving the image of the French language, increasing the rate of spread of the language, developing a language policy designed to promote the language, and searching for invest- ment. The priorities of the Asian French-speaking community are identified, including: increasing motivation to learn French; determination of the status and functions of the French language in the region; coordination of the actions of the authorities involved in the promotion of the French language; initiation of teacher support and ICT programs.

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