标题：Language shift and language connectedness in the era of globalization: language choices for Singapore
作者：毛锋（上海对外经贸大学国际商务外语学院、上海外国语大学语言科学研究院/中国外语战略研究中心）、Rita E. Silver（新加坡南洋理工大学国立教育学院）
摘要：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.
关键词： Language connectedness; multilingual policy; economics of language; Singapore; policy evaluation; quantitative analysis
来源：Current Issues in Language Planning, 2026
欢迎引用：Mao, F., & Silver, R. E. (2026). Language shift and language connectedness in the era of globalization: language policy choices for Singapore. Current Issues in Language Planning, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2026.2700630
