In the dawn of the 21st century, English Language Teaching (ELT) and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) are central for individual progress and participation in an increasingly globalized culture and economy. As a discourse and process, globalization encapsulates the emergence of the network society (Erling & Seargeant, 2013) characterized by complex, disjunctive, contradictory, and sometimes unpredictable power relations (Appadurai, 1996). In this context, discourses about the role of English language and its contribution to the creation of just and democratic societies have witnessed an unprecedented growth in the last twenty years. Of course, these discourses have grown hand in hand with socio-cultural, economic, and political transformations. These transformations have had dramatic influence not only for language education policies and English teaching practices, but have also shaped conceptualizations of language, identity, culture, and attitudes about the role of English learning in the context of globalization. These developments have led to contradictory and conflicting claims about the ownership of English. According to some language scholars (e.g., Barlett, 2013), English language is no longer the exclusive property of the native speakers and advocate for recognition of emerging local varieties of English (Bamgbose, 1998; Kachru, 1996; Mirhosseini, 2008). Yet, in postcolonial spaces inherited colonial education systems are still struggling in their emancipatory upheavals for democracy and social justice in Africa. The language question and English language education, to be sure, is central to these struggles.
Based on a priori assumptions and existing research, I argue that in post-colonial spaces and elsewhere (Canagar...
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...possibility to promote hybrid and multifarious identities that emerge in the context of English language learning in multilingual contexts. This section presents theoretical insights for building pedagogy of possibility through the incorporation of pedagogical perspective that would promote voice, and agency in multilingual context and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The main purpose of this section is to highlight the relevance for paradigm shift in English language learning that is, deconstructing the dominant perspective in order to open up ideological spaces leading to recognition of local knowledge and local variants of English. Before presenting the main arguments of this paper I would like to map the different ways in which the terms globalization, appropriation, and multivoicedness are used within language education and applied linguistics literature.
“Standard English was imposed on children of immigrant parents, then the children were separated from native English speakers, then the children were labeled “inferior” and “ignorant” (Hughes 70) because they could not speak Standard English. In addition to feeling inferior about their second language skills, these students also felt inadequate in regard to speaking their own mother tongues” (qtd in Kanae)
Post-colonialism is a discourse draped in history. In one point in time or another, European colonialism dominated most non-European lands since the end of the Renaissance. Naturally, colonialists depicted the cultures of non-Europeans incorrectly and inferior. Traditionally, the canon has misappropriated and misrepresented these cultures, but also the Western academia has yet to teach us the valuable and basic lessons that allow true representations to develop. Partly in response, Post-colonialism arose. Though this term is a broad one, Post-colonialists generally agree on certain key principles. They understand that colonialism exploits the dominated people or country in one way or another, evoking inequalities. Examples of past inequalities include “genocide, economic exploitation, cultural decimation and political exclusion…” (Loomba 9-10). They abhor traditional colonialism but also believe that every people, through the context of their own cultures, have something to contribute to our understanding of human nature (Loomba 1-20). This is the theme that Lewis prescribes in his, self described, “satirical fantasy”, Out of the Silent Planet (Of Other 77).
Even though the dominance of a language can allow for the loss of a culture, it can also bring awareness. In schools, local community centers and other various places, foreign languages are taught, not only do non-native speakers take on these languages but native speakers do as well to keep their culture. By doing so it “revitalizes cultures and cultural artifacts through foreign influences, technologies, and markets.” (Gerdes
In Gloria Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, an excerpt from her book Borderlands/La Fronter in 1987, she demonstrates that identity can be asserted through language. You can tell a lot about a person by their language. Language is your way of representing who you are as a person, and most importantly, your culture. Culture defines the most about a person. Anzaldúa shares her aggravation of not being able to speak her language, “until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself" (Anzaldúa 378). Being seen as an individual of English as Second Language (ESL), Anzaldúa does not appreciate how she has to assist in translating to English or Spanish, where she would rather speak Spanglish. “[A]s long as I have to accommodate the English speaker rather than having them accommodate me, my tongue will be illegitimate” (Anzaldúa 378). Talking bad about her language severely impacts her identity, “I am my language” (Anzaldúa 378). A person’s identity should not be seen less because of the language they speak. Anzaldúa states that she will have her voice, though she cannot express her passion for her language with the restraint of no freedom act to embrace it, she will. Her audiences that she is reaching to are those who share the same struggle of their identities just like her, and also speaking out to people who do look down upon people like her because of where she is form and what language she speaks.
Language is an important part of who we are. It influences the way we think and behave on a great scale. However, sometimes it is forced upon us to go in different directions just so we can physically and mentally feel as if we belong to the society in which we live in. Just as we see in Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and Richard Rodriguez’s “A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood”, both authors faced some challenges along the way by coping with two different languages, while still trying to achieve the social position which they desired.
Language is a means of communication and it varies from one community to another. Everyone has a mother tongue which depended on the family’s upbringing. A second language can be learned along the way. There are also instances where a person is born in a community that speaks two languages and therefore, had to learn both languages. The quality of the languages learned will be affected by how well the community speaks both languages. This can later develop into a new form of language. The essay describes the frustration of the author who felt rejected by different groups for speaking a different form of language. Her essay aims to gain sympathy from readers by seeing the issue from her point of view. Anzaldua attempts to achieve this in her essay by raising issues on identity and discrimination. She wanted to highlight that language is not determined by a country’s physical borders.
Language is a mean of communication in any given society. It represents the ability to evolve and progress through the ongoing process of living with other human beings. Many can perceive this instrument as tool of liberation and transformation but others as an instrument to enslave, manipulate or oppress a group of people. Whichever the case one need to acknowledge that it is necessary and not a waste of time the many different discussions about this ongoing topic regardless of the time period or social context any country might have. In Puerto Rico, there has been an ongoing dilemma about languages; Dr. Alicia Pousada examines on her essay what many might define “the language madness on the island”. Throughout this paper some of her most interesting ideas will be shared and discussed so that this already extended topic might find another page to take place.
In evaluating the various approaches to colonization over the past century, some notable differences can be referenced. Yet what remains constant through all these differences is the profound affect these colonial powers had on the fate of the counties they colonized. It is also worth recognizing that colonization, to a certain degree, held advantages as well as disadvantages for the colonized; ultimately altering their relationship and success with democratic consolidation. In this section, I will be comparing the colonial methods and tactics of three major imperialist powers: Great Britain, France, and Portugal. In answering the question presented as to what their specific differences are, I will be examining their governance styles and economic
Many times throughout history and especially in society today individuals are morphing their voice to fit into what the world desires of expects of them. In other words, the path is reversed where the assumed and stereotypical identity of society is used for individuals to fit themselves and their language into this mold. An example of this societal issue is also displayed in Louis Harm’s article. In it, he discusses the lack of traditional African language in regards to upper societal recognition due to social elites who have made other languages such as English and French more prominent and influential in hopes of morphing citizens around them to alter their voice. In contrast to the accumulative stained glass masterpiece of individual identities discussed earlier, the African situation causes the individual pieces to morph into completely different forms that can no longer come together. All the pieces attempt to demonstrate the same image alone, but in doing this the truly diverse meaning and identity is
Swarbrick, A. (2013) Aspects of Teaching Secondary Modern Foreign Languages: Perspectives on Practice. London: Routledge Falmer.
Aschcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin, eds. 'The Post-Colonial Studies Reader'. London; Routledge, 1995.
But darkness was here yesterday” (38). The image of colonialism is specified in a
It is no longer a language used for specific occasion. It has become a first and/or second language for several million in and outside Nigeria. The fact that English is the language of education, media, governance, and business necessitate such progression. Adegbite (2004) also corrobates Gorlach’s assertion that English in Nigeria has progressed from interethnic lingua franca into entire domains of the society. Danladi (2003:6), however, caution that, although English has become important in the entire aspects of the society, there are varying degree of competence and performance. According to Adegbite (2004:25), in such cases, and among other functions, ‘English should provide an expected co-coordinating role as a way of inter-ethnic and international
Hepworth, M. D. (2012), Tutorial Notes, '69214339 TMA01', Unpublished Work. Leith, D. and Seargeant, P. (2012), 'A Colonial Language', in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. ed. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a History, Diversity, Change (U214, English in the World), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 113-117. 101.
Since the establishment of the British Empire, the spread of English language has been experienced in many parts of the globe. The success can be attributed significantly to the colonization activities that the empire had embarked on. They would train the indigenous community English language as they suppressed the local dialect. This massive spread is termed as lingual imperialism (Osterhammel 2005, pp. 14). The English language has become the first and second language of many nations across the world, and this makes it an international language. The native’s proportion to the non-native who speaks English cannot be compared with nations in the isle of Britain and far are speaking the language .considering that more than 70%