Vocational English language education in multilingual context: the case of Singapore

ABSTRACT Given the emergence of English as a global lingual franca, English proficiency has become necessary for workers in many sectors and therefore should be given special attention in vocational education and training. While there is no shortage of research on vocational education and training in general, this body of work lacks a focus on English language education. In view of this gap, this study adopts a desk research approach to examine research published in journal papers, book chapters, dissertations, and websites to provide an overview of vocational English language education in Singapore, and examines how policy makers, educators and researchers in Singapore and beyond may benefit from the knowledge of Singapore’s practices. The findings of this study are presented with a focus on 1) Singapore’s language policy; 2) historical changes in English language education in Singapore schools; and 3) vocational English language education in Singapore’s secondary schools, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), and other institutions. This success story of the city state can offer practical reference to other nations, particularly in addressing issues of diversity resulting from a multilingual and multiethnic population and also the varied ability of students in the education system.