With a population of 5.08 million (Statistics Singapore 2010), Singapore hosts three major ethnic groups-Chinese (76%), Malays (13%), and Indians (8%) together with a small minority of others (3%). This ethnic make-up, however, is not reflected in the linguistic practices one would expect to be associated with such ethnic diversity. The government's top-down language interventions and language-in-education policy have resulted in a somewhat different situation. Although both English and mother tongues (Mandarin, Malay and Tamil) are recognized as official languages, English enjoys a privileged position as the language of law, administration and commerce. With regard to the context of education, English has been implemented as the medium of education in all schools across all subjects. Mother tongues (MTs) are now only taught as a 'second language' and given a limited curriculum time. At a practical level, the privilege of English is reflected through better job opportunities and easier socioeconomic advancement. As a consequence, a visible shift away from MTs towards English among all ethnic groups has occurred during the past three decades