It is commonplace to assume that the best way to learn
a language is to go to where the language is spoken as a native
language. In many cases, this, of course, is true. However, in the
contexts with which we are dealing in ASEAN, sending students to learn English in native speaking countries may not be the
most effective way of developing English proficiency among the
learners. Rather, sending them to countries where English is used
as a lingua franca may be far more beneficial. Thai students, for
example, may make far more progress if they go to the Philippines
or Malaysia to study English than if they were to go to Australia,
Britain or the US. In ‘native speaking countries, the students
may feel awkward as they assume that their English will be
evaluated against native speaker norms. This may well lead them
to remain silent observers rather than active participants.