The unavoidability of language makes it critical that language policies appeal to some notion of language neutrality as part of their rationale, in order to assuage concerns that the policies might otherwise be unduly discriminatory. However, the idea of language neutrality is deeply ideological in nature, since it is not only an attempt to treat…

Using Hindi and Urdu as examples, illustrates the shortcomings in the definition of South Asian languages that has been attempted in Britain so far. Argues that description and definition of a language have to include aspects of culture, religion, script, politics, and the speakers' own perception of their language and language choice. (SED)

Explores parts of the phenomenon of the support for, and hostility toward, the use of English in education in Asian bilingual systems. The article then sketches an educational alternative capable of making the language a shared resource for all its stakeholders. Tsui's response addresses the question of whether educational solutions are capable of…