Prior to colonization, Buddhist monasteries led education in local languages like Mon, Burmese, and Shan. English remained the language of instruction at Burmese universities until 1965, especially in fields like medicine, science, and technology, due to a lack of Burmese-language resources.
Socialist era (1962–1988) Under the
Union Revolutionary Council (1962–1974) and Socialist government (1974–1988), Myanmar became largely isolated. English instruction began in Standard Five and focused primarily on reading and writing. After 1974, the government produced local English textbooks for basic and tertiary education. By the 1980s, concerns about declining English proficiency in the country prompted a “New Education Program” (NEP). English language education was reintroduced in 1982. Key initiatives included: • Introducing English as a compulsory subject from kindergarten (1981), • Using English to teach science and economics at upper secondary and university levels (1986), • Implementing teacher training programs. However, these reforms were frequently disrupted by political unrest and closures of educational institutions.
Military occupation (1988–2007) In 1988, after the military takeover following the
8888 Uprising, the country was renamed the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. A shift toward a market economy, increased foreign trade, tourism, and digital communication reignited interest in English. Since 1991, English and Burmese have both been used as the medium of instruction in the 9th and 10th Standards, particularly in science and math subjects, which use English-language textbooks. Because of this, many Burmese are better able to communicate in written English than in spoken English, due to the emphasis placed on writing and reading. Small private language schools emerged in urban centers, and the Institute of Foreign Languages was upgraded to the
University of Foreign Languages (UFL), offering English and other language degrees. Due to widespread university closures (1988–2000), many students turned to distance education or private institutions, and some studied abroad. Efforts to improve English instruction included intra-department teacher training, one-year postgraduate diplomas in ELT, and the introduction of PhD programs in English at
Yangon and
Mandalay Universities from 2002. Despite these efforts, English instruction in Myanmar remained teacher-centered, with an emphasis on grammatical accuracy over communicative fluency. Listening and speaking skills were often neglected in classrooms. == Characteristics ==