The Life-changing Impact of English at the Grassroots in Cambodia

This Element documents the life trajectories of Cambodian English users from rural, low socioeconomic backgrounds, and their experiences with the English language. Studies have focused on elite users in urban contexts, despite the fact that English has appeared to make inroads across all levels of Cambodian society.

This Element documents the life trajectories of Cambodian English users from rural, low socioeconomic backgrounds, and their experiences with the English language in a variety of contexts. Studies on English in Cambodia have, to date, focused primarily on elite users in urban contexts, largely overlooking the use of English at the grassroots level, such as among the lower and working classes, despite the fact that English has appeared to make inroads across all levels of Cambodian society in recent decades. The stories of individuals whose voices tend to be excluded from mainstream academic discourse are thus featured in this Element, providing a fresh glimpse into the sociolinguistic realities at the Cambodian grassroots – and the significant impact that English has had on the lives of such individuals.