Roles of Language in Multicultural Education in the Context
of Internationalisation
Educating minority people has been a subject of multicultural education and
is still practiced in a framework of the nation-state. Multicultural education guarantees opportunities for minority people’s education and tries to preserve their
culture, but it is often a controversial point between the majority and minority. In a
multicultural society, nation-building and national integration should be imminent
tasks, as such, national education plays a significant role in creating a ‘national
culture’. In this process, the differences between majority and minority cultures
have been discussed, and in many cases, the minority has been required to assimilate into the majority. In particular, language is a key point in the discussion
because the government often forms its national integration policy by designating
a national language as the medium of instruction in the national education system.
Therefore, the minority is forced to learn the national language, but they often also
strive to use their mother tongue in education to preserve their history,
traditional culture and ethnic identity.
Meanwhile, in this context of internationalization, minority groups have moved
beyond nations and developed various needs for language education. Language
can be chosen as a strategy depending on the people’s political, economic, and
social position. In other words, language as culture can be a strategy for people to
acquire better opportunities for study or work, and sometimes more importance is
placed on learning the national language, or English, in addition to their mother
tongue. These changing roles of language should be considered as a new function
in multicultural education to guarantee a minority group’s educational needs.
This paper discusses the changing roles of language as a factor of multicultural education by focusing on the education of minority Chinese as immigrants
in Malaysia and Japan. By using the research framework of essentialism and
social constructionism on culture, it clarifies that people’s demands for language
education depend on their social situation, and is influenced by their transition
during the emigration process. Subsequently, this paper proposes that the conventional research and practices of multicultural education have attached importance
to people’s roots, but it is also important to consider their various paths when
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Roles of Language in Multicultural Education in the Context
of Internationalisation
Educating minority people has been a subject of multicultural education and
is still practiced in a framework of the nation-state. Multicultural education guarantees opportunities for minority people’s education and tries to preserve their
culture, but it is often a controversial point between the majority and minority. In a
multicultural society, nation-building and national integration should be imminent
tasks, as such, national education plays a significant role in creating a ‘national
culture’. In this process, the differences between majority and minority cultures
have been discussed, and in many cases, the minority has been required to assimilate into the majority. In particular, language is a key point in the discussion
because the government often forms its national integration policy by designating
a national language as the medium of instruction in the national education system.
Therefore, the minority is forced to learn the national language, but they often also
strive to use their mother tongue in education to preserve their history,
traditional culture and ethnic identity.
Meanwhile, in this context of internationalization, minority groups have moved
beyond nations and developed various needs for language education. Language
can be chosen as a strategy depending on the people’s political, economic, and
social position. In other words, language as culture can be a strategy for people to
acquire better opportunities for study or work, and sometimes more importance is
placed on learning the national language, or English, in addition to their mother
tongue. These changing roles of language should be considered as a new function
in multicultural education to guarantee a minority group’s educational needs.
This paper discusses the changing roles of language as a factor of multicultural education by focusing on the education of minority Chinese as immigrants
in Malaysia and Japan. By using the research framework of essentialism and
social constructionism on culture, it clarifies that people’s demands for language
education depend on their social situation, and is influenced by their transition
during the emigration process. Subsequently, this paper proposes that the conventional research and practices of multicultural education have attached importance
to people’s roots, but it is also important to consider their various paths when