Consuming identities: Language planning and policy in Singaporean late modernity

摘要

Much language planning and policy is formulated around notions such as ethnicity and nation and thus does not fit easily with the multilingual dynamics typical of late modern societies that are increasingly characterized by a culture of consumerism and class. Taking its point of departure in a critical analysis of contemporary language politics in Singapore, this paper suggests an alternative approach that takes the notion of sociolinguistic consumption as central, and explores how this may account for everyday language choice among multilingual Singaporean adolescents. The paper concludes by elaborating on the implications of such a framework for the teaching and learning of languages.