LEE Gladys Wing Tung

YAU Hei Ming, Daphne

YEUNG Wai Man, Andrea

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Under the current language policy of education, students in Ethiopia learn English as a language subject in primary school and use English as the medium of instruction in grade 7 or 9 (depending on the regional policy). Their English proficiency is affected by the exposure to English in informal ways, their socioeconomic status and family background. The education language policy is problematic, where resources are inadequate and university students are not well prepared for the tertiary education in English. On the other hand, they have very positive attitude towards English and they consider learning English as a way to improve their living standard. English is the practical language for (international-scale) workplace, often seen as a symbol of modernity and educatedness. Nevertheless, Amharic, the language for wider communication among general public, still have the political and psychological dominance. In this sense, they have strong national identity as Ethiopian.