English and regional identity in ASEAN

Abstract

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has deployed English not only as its sole working language but also as a tool for forging regional identity, unity and solidarity among its ten member‐states. Drawing on the concept of ‘imagined communities’ and, by extension, ‘imagined identity regionalism’, this article provides a critical examination of this policy desire and asks the question whether the desire should be read as a form of political rhetoric or an achievable goal for ASEAN. We argue that the unifying potential of English language as an imagined regional community and identity has yet to be realised. At best, English can be seen as contributing to ASEAN's ‘functional identity’, rather than a more substantive ‘socio‐cultural identity’. It is suggested that although the birth of a distinct hybridised variety of ASEAN English may facilitate a bottom‐up linguistic identity imagination for ASEAN, such an ideal appears utopian at this time.