Leaders call for greater use of English<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AP): Southeast Asian nations, which boast hundreds
\nof local languages, must work to make English the lingua franca
\nof the region, Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Goh said the leaders of the Association of Southeast Nations
\nhad discussed the need to increase the use of English - the main
\nlanguage of business and the Internet in much of Asia.<\/p>\n
\"Its importance cannot be overemphasized,\" Goh told reporters,
\nadding that competing as a group in the globalized economy
\nrequired a common language.<\/p>\n
At their two-day summit in Singapore, ASEAN heads of
\ngovernment are struggling to keep their troubled region
\nattractive to investors.<\/p>\n
In the past, efforts to achieve closer economic integration
\nhave been hampered in part by the linguistic divide between the
\n10 nations.<\/p>\n
The use of English is common in former British colonies such
\nas Malaysia or Singapore, where it is the language of government
\nand schools.<\/p>\n
But in other countries, such as Francophone Indochina, it is
\npatchy at best. And in Indonesia, a former Dutch colony where
\nhundreds of local languages compete with the official Bahasa
\nIndonesia, English is hardly spoken.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's leaders are now determined to make English a unifying
\nforce of their grouping and an instrument that would facilitate
\nfaster integration into the world economy.<\/p>\n
Goh has frequently insisted that in the global economy, the
\nuse of English gives businesses a big advantage over non-English-
\nspeaking competitors.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leaders-call-for-greater-use-of-english-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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