Language and Education Policy in the Kingdom of Cambodia

The book provides a novel and comprehensive exploration of Cambodia’s evolving educational and linguistic landscape through the lens of language policy, national identity, and global influences. Taking a critical and multidimensional approach, it addresses not only the influence of historical events such as the Khmer Rouge era and the subsequent reconstruction efforts but also contemporary issues such as the role of English in global economic mobility, the integration of digital technologies, and the need for inclusivity in a multilingual society. The first section provides historical and contemporary perspectives on language and education policies, highlighting their roles in language and literacy development, standardization, nation building, national identity, social inclusion, and globalization. The second section discusses language and education policies within the contexts of PreK-12 education, addressing issues such as educational equity, curriculum development, bilingual and multilingual education, ESL and foreign/world language instruction, content and language integrated instruction, and translanguaging. The third and final section focuses on language and education policies in higher education, dealing with issues such as medium of instruction, the teaching of English and other foreign languages, technology and innovation, language teacher education, and professional development. By integrating these multidimensional themes, the book sheds light on the ways education systems, language policies, national identity, and globalization interact to create both opportunities and challenges for Cambodia's 21st-century development. Moreover, featuring insights from a number of rising multilingual Cambodian scholars, the book provides new perspectives grounded in their own lived personal and professional experiences. This book is a useful resource for researchers and graduate students of language policy and Asian, Southeast Asian, and Cambodian education. It is also intended for undergraduate and graduate students in Cambodia in language education teacher preparation programs.