The Politics of English Language Education and Social Inequality

Based on policy analysis and empirical data, this book examines the problematic consequences of colonial legacies of language policies and English language education in the multilingual contexts of the Global South. Using a postcolonial lens, the volume explores the raciolinguistics of language hierarchies that results in students from low-income backgrounds losing their mother tongues without acquiring academic fluency in English. Using findings from five major research projects, the book analyzes the specific context of India, where ambiguous language policies have led to uneasy tensions between the colonial language of English, national and state languages, and students' linguistic diversity is mistaken for cognitive deficits when English is the medium of instruction in schools. The authors situate their own professional and personal experiences in their efforts at dismantling postcolonial structures through reflective practice as teacher educators, and present solutions of decolonial resistance to linguistic hierarchies that include critical pedagogical alternatives to bilingual education and opportunities for increased teacher agency. Ultimately, this timely volume will appeal to researchers, scholars, academics, and students in the fields of international and comparative education, English and literacy studies, and language arts more broadly. Those interested in English language learning in low-income countries specifically will also find this book to be of benefit to their research.

Maya Kalyanpur is Professor of Inclusive Education, Department of Learning and Teaching at the University of San Diego, USA. Padmini Bhuyan Boruah is Professor and Head, Department of English Language Teaching at Gauhati University, India. Sarina Chugani Molina is Associate Professor in English Language Education, Department of Learning and Teaching, University of San Diego, USA. Sunaina Shenoy is Assistant Professor in the Educational Diagnostic Certificate Program, Department of Special Education, University of New Mexico, USA.

About the Authors List of figures and tables List of abbreviations Acknowledgements Prologue: Our language stories PART I: The global context for language policy 1 Introducing a postcolonial perspective on language education A colonial/postcolonial framework Language as a tool of oppression in globalization The diminishment of non-world languages Socio-economic barriers to acquisition of the English Language The structure of the book 2 Language, linguicide and equity: Navigating the tension between heritage, national and colonial agendas Language vitality, status, and terminology National language policies in Pakistan and Bangladesh: Issues of linguistic equity The Chinese language diaspora in East Asia Language challenges in Taiwan and Hong Kong Linguicide or the integration of heritage language education? Part II: The politics and practice of India's language education policy 3. Language contestations and the illusions around English in India's Three Language Formula English in education: From constitutional provisions to policy English as deliverance, English as Indian: Competing social and educational goals Pedagogic models of English Language Teaching: Ground realities and social disadvantage Repositioning English: Empowerment agendas and multiliteracy frameworks Conclusion 4. English language teachers and teacher education: Challenging normative linguistic positionings The impact of national education policies on language teacher education Moving beyond the colonial legacy: Alternative pedagogy and curricular models of language education Teachers' pedagogy, invisibility, voice and agency Restructuring English language teacher education: New initiatives Conclusion 5. English medium private schools: Teaching bilingual and multilingual students in the context of inequality Language teaching in Karnataka private schools: Linguistic and cultural contexts Language of instruction: Helping those who struggle English language teaching in classroom contexts Conclusion 6. L2 English language acquisition: Dyslexia and learning inequalities in private schools Dyslexia: the language difference vs learning disorder debate Dyslexia and English literary acquisition in the Indian school context Learning disabilities, dyslexia and disadvantage The implications for disadvantaged learners in English medium private schools Conclusion Part III: Decolonizing language education and challenging disadvantage 7. English language education and the case against neutrality Language and globalization: Hybridity, neutrality, and the danger of complicity Race and power: The persistence of racio-linguistic ideologies Considering postcolonial approaches in the English language classroom Reimagining a possible future of English language education 8. Challenging disadvantage through language education policy and practice: New postcolonial directions The complexities and challenges of language education policies and practices Engaging in decolonial resistance and critical pedagogy The reflective practitioner: Rethinking our professional selves Conclusion Glossary Index