Language shift and language connectedness in the era of globalization: language policy choices for Singapore

This study applies language connectedness (LC) theory to multilingual policy evaluation within a single nation, using Singapore's sixty-year language policy experiment (1960-2020) as a case study. We calculate separate LC indices for English and Mandarin to compare their differential associations with economic indicators. English LC shows a very strong correlation with economic indicators (r > 0.96, R² > 0.93), while Mandarin LC shows a fluctuating pattern consistent with theories of conditional language value. Despite primary language shift toward English (48.3% by 2020), Singapore maintains substantial multilingual reserves (57.0% Mandarin capability), consistent with a dynamic policy-balancing approach. Regression analysis indicates that English LC changes are associated with substantially larger GDP differences than Mandarin LC, though both estimates should be treated as illustrative given the limited data. Using a 'language investment portfolio' heuristic, we suggest that language policy need not be framed as a strict trade-off between economic competitiveness and cultural preservation. We underscore, however, that economic factors cannot fully explain language shift, and call for further research drawing on complementary data sources and greater attention to sociolinguistic factors.