Impact of Economic Development on Education and Society in Asia

• The development of Asia in the 21st century is marked by the rise of the region socially, economically and politically.
• In particular, the establishment of the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) will enhance not only the economy in general and help to reduce poverty, but it will also enable controlled yet growing mobility.
• These changes, so far unprecedented in this part of the world, represent a major step forward in cooperation between countries.
• However, mobility will also place considerable stress on institutions, facilities and society in general through a de facto reorientation of the composition and practices of groups.
• And this may well undermine traditional patterns of teaching and learning.
• We can also expect that diversification of the labor force and any concomitant changes may generate negative reactions in receiving societies and communities of practice.
• These, in turn, need to find ways of adjusting to new and, so far, unaccustomed challenges to local professional and personal life.
• And there will be pressure on how citizens of the region construct their identities, deal with diversity, and move together into the future.
• Traditional providers of education, such as schools and universities, may not be able to meet the needs of today's mass market of language learners who have individual communication and personal learning needs.
• This mass market of learners will require new, innovative methods of learning which are not currently available in traditional classrooms.
• This situation is not limited to English, but extends to other languages as well.
• New, innovative methods of learning must be developed in order to meet the needs of this mass market of learners.

Explore the potential impact of the 21st-century economic development in Asia, particularly the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community), on education, societal structures, and traditional learning methods. Examine the challenges and opportunities arising from the rise in mobility, diversification of the labor force, and the need for innovative learning approaches to cater to the mass market of language learners.