Policy and practice in the use of English in Brunei primary school classes. Issue 4 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: JONES, GARY M.
• Other Names: MCLELLAN JAMES guestEditor.; CHIN GRACE V. S. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: World Englishes. Volume 35:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 509
• Page End: 518
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: English language -- Foreign countries -- Periodicals; English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- Periodicals; English language -- Variation -- Periodicals; Intercultural communication -- Periodicals; 428.2407
• DOI: 10.1111/weng.12222
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-2919

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Formal education for the majority of Bruneians only properly began in the 1960s, when the country embarked on an ambitious school building programme with the intention of providing education for all. The initial plan was to use Malay as the medium of instruction, but when the country moved from separate language mediums in 1984, it instead adopted a bilingual education system, with Malay and English being the chosen mediums. Bilingual education remained till 2009 when the country adopted Sistem Pendidikan Nasional Abad ke‐21 or the National Education System for the 21st Century, referred to locally as SPN‐21. Based on interviews with officers from the Ministry of Education and with teachers who have worked in both systems, together with an analysis of the available statistics, this article explores what changes have occurred concerning the use of English in Brunei primary school classes.