Coloniality of English teaching in the global south: interculturality, power relations and identity

Abstract

The global spread of English has been critically examined under the lenses of linguistic imperialism, coloniality and interculturality. In particular, intercultural relations have been shaped by power imbalances that have resulted in colonial-like relations between the Global North and South. One manifestation of these power inequalities is the supremacy of Anglophone cultures and their possible hegemony over local languages and cultures. Therefore, it is necessary to explore how English language teaching (ELT) may be promoting hegemonic understandings of English and its associated cultures, especially considering the domination of Anglophone countries on ELT theory and practice. Current scholarship on the cultural politics of English language teaching often argues that non-native English language teachers may contribute to the marginalization of their own languages and culture through presenting Anglophone cultures as superior. Students may perceive the attempt to achieve a native-like competency as conditioned by their adoption of native speakers’ ways of languaging and culture. This research has been conducted in Morocco, where English is increasingly spreading and, thus, gradually used as a lingua franca to mediate intercultural and international contacts. A lingua franca refers to a language that is used as a common language between speakers of different native languages. The rationale for conducting this doctoral research in Morocco comes from its sociolinguistic situation which is marked by the linguistic dependency of foreign languages and the rapid spread of English. Morocco is a postcolonial space that has been characterized by linguistic dependency, which started with the French and it seems it could be perpetuated by the supremacy of English. That is why this research would allow for a better understanding of how English is influencing the cultural identity of both teachers and students. My thesis explores the intersection of language, power, culture and identity through the combination of four articles. These studies have sought to examine various ways in which the global spread of English and its teaching may be contributing to the maintenance of power imbalances between the Global North and South. This thesis will discuss (a) how the global spread of English is both a manifestation and a mechanism in perpetuating power imbalances, (b) the impact of the supremacy of Anglophone cultures on Southern cultures and identities and (c) how colonial-like intercultural relations should be adequately addressed in English teaching classrooms. This thesis will argue for the necessity of reimagining the traditional understandings of the global spread of English and ELT through more critical engagement with intercultural communication dialectics and power imbalances between the Global North and South.