Linguistic Imperialism

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Linguistic Imperialism

Format: Paperback
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Shortlisted for the 2000 BAAL Book Prize

This book explores English as an international language, and how and why it has become so dominant.

  • ISBN: 978-0-19-437146-9
  • Price: $ 59.40
  • Pages: 376
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Dimensions: 216x138 mm

This book explores English as an international language, and how and why it has become so dominant.

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This book explores English as an international language, and how and why it has become so dominant.

Contents

Acknowledgements

1 ELT: Taking stock of a world commodity
The aims of this book
English for all?
Professional and ethical aspects of ELT 'aid'
Notes

2 English, the dominant language
English in core English-speaking countries
English in periphery-English countries
Language promotion
Opposition to the dominance of English
Notes

3 Linguistic imperialism: theoretical foundations
A cautionary word on terminology
A working definition of English linguistic imperialism
Linguistic imperialism and linguicism
Cultural imperialism in science, the media, and education
The State, hegemony, and ELT
Notes

4 Earlier work relevant to linguistic imperialism
Language spread
The sociology of language
Language planning
Theoretical models of language teaching and learning
Linguistic human rights
Two approaches, Wardhaugh and Calvet
Notes

5 The colonial linguistic inheritance
Their masters' language
Colonial educational language policy and practice
The importance of English as a colonial inheritance
Notes

6 British and American promotion of English
The origins and structure of the British Council
The British strategy for expanding ELT
American promotion of English
Anglo-American collaboration
Notes

7 Creating a profession: the structure and tenets of ELT
Creating a British academic base for ELT
ELT and educational language planning for under-developed countries
Tenet one: English is best taught monolingually
Tenet two: the ideal teacher of English is a native speaker
Tenet three: the earlier English is taught, the better the results
Tenet four: the more English is taught, the better the results
Tenet five: if other languages are used much, standards of English will drop
Conclusions: the legacy of Makerere
Notes

8 English language teaching in action
ELT research
ELT in 'aid' to education
- The overall context of ELT 'aid'
- EFL, ESL or ... ?
- Principles for the analysis of ELT in 'aid'
- Postulate 1: political disconnection
- Postulate 2: narrowly technical training
- English for special and new purposes
Notes

9 Arguments in linguistic imperialist discourse
Types of argument and types of power
English-intrinsic arguments
English-extrinsic arguments
English-functional arguments
The means used to exert linguistic power
Arguments in language planning for Namibia
Notes

10 Linguistic imperialism and ELT
ELT: master-minded?
On the force of the evidence
Studying ELT and imperialism
Notes

Bibliography
Index

Reviews

  • 'What is original about his treatise is that it provides the first systematic examination of the enormous significance of language to most neo-colonial enterprises. It should be recommended to anyone convinced of the 'superiority' of the English language or of the necessity of its universal dissemination.'
    - New Internationalist (21/09/1995)
  • 'This is an important, groundbreaking study of the political background and impact of the spread of English. Congratulations are due to Phillipson for having taken on this task ... Phillipson has tackled a topic of major proportion and his work shows his wide reading of a large number of interesting sources ... He has drawn attention dramatically to important issues that have so far been mainly ignored and that cry out for continued investigation, and his book should be required reading for all concerned with the development and implementation of language policy.'
    - Journal of Pragmatics (12/02/1996)

Part of... Oxford Applied Linguistics

Home to the most innovative studies in its field, the Oxford Applied Linguistics series furthers research in English teaching and learning, and provides strong foundations for language pedagogy.

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