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Language, Education and Nation-building pp 68–86Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

From Sentimentalism to Pragmatism? Language-in-education Policy-making in Timor-Leste

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Minority Languages and Communities ((PSMLC))

Abstract

Timor-Leste is the youngest sovereign nation in Southeast Asia. After having been occupied and later colonized by Portugal for almost 400 years, and by Indonesia for more than two decades from 1975 to 1999, it became independent in May 2002 after almost two years of transitional supervision under the United Nations (UN). For such a small country of 5641 sq. mi (14609 sq. km) and a population of a little over one million, Timor-Leste’s linguistic history and ecology are immensely complex and prompted a notable scholar, Geoffrey Hull, to describe it as a ‘linguist’s paradise or hell depending on (one’s) appetite for hard work’ (Hull 2000a, n.p.). The country’s complex linguistic map consists of two official languages (Portuguese and Tetum or Tetun), two ‘working languages’ (Bahasa Indonesia and English), and 16 recognized national indigenous languages (including Tetum) slated for further development. In addition, there are a number of other smaller indigenous languages (Hajek 2000).

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Authors
  1. Rommel A. Curaming
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  2. Freddy Kalidjernih
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Newcastle University, UK

    Peter Sercombe

  2. National Institute of Education, Singapore

    Ruanni Tupas

Copyright information

© 2014 Rommel A. Curaming and Freddy Kalidjernih

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Curaming, R.A., Kalidjernih, F. (2014). From Sentimentalism to Pragmatism? Language-in-education Policy-making in Timor-Leste. In: Sercombe, P., Tupas, R. (eds) Language, Education and Nation-building. Palgrave Studies in Minority Languages and Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137455536_4

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