本文運用Spolsky(2004)的語言政策理論架構,從語言管理、語言意識形態及語言實踐這三方面討論新加坡的語言地位規畫。新加坡是一個多種族、多語言、多文化的國家。其語言規畫常被視為達成「必知英語的雙語現象」的成功故事。過去的研究常以官方是否成功的推行共通語進行語言規畫評估,卻忽略共通語對非共通語造成的影響。本文從語言生態的觀點出發,探討新加坡官方多語言 地位規畫的社會、歷史背景,指出新加坡雖然成功的將英語打造為共通語,不過,卻是以犧牲其他語言為代價,從相關的家庭用語的 調查可知,占人口多數的華族其母語也急劇流失。本文建議語言地位規畫應該以「語言生態典範」(Ricento, 2000)為基礎,抑強扶弱,在推展共通語的同時,注意弱勢語言支援系統的建立,如此,才能避免削減式的雙語現象。形成共通語與母語共存的添加式雙語現象。
Using Spolsky's language policy framework, this paper attempts to analyze Singapore's language status planning from the perspectives of language management, language ideology and language practice. Singapore is a multiethnic and multilingual and multicultural country. Singapore's language planning has been touted as a successful story in developing an ”English-knowing bilingualism.” This paper claims that the evaluation of language planning should consider the impact of lingua franca on other languages. Thus, this paper adopts a language ecology perspective to evaluate Singapore's multilingual policy. It is found that the success of establishing English as a lingua franca is at the expense of native languages. This paper suggests that language planning should be based on the ecology-of-language paradigm. An additive bilingualism can be achieved by restraining the powerful and helping the weak.