Language Policy And Political Economy: English In A Global Context University Press Scholarship Online

This volume articulates a new framework for language policy research that explores the connections between language policy and political economy. The chapters are united in their focus on English, a language that has enjoyed a reputation as a "global language" over the course of the last century and that is perceived as a tool for socioeconomic mobility. The book argues that adopting a new, political economic approach to language policy research will enhance our ability to provide more consistent explanations about the status, functions, benefits, and limitations of English in its various roles in non-English dominant countries. The book poses the questions: Does English serve as a "lingua franca" and does it advance the interests of sustainable economic and social development in low-income countries? Written by leading experts in language policy research, the chapters reveal the myriad and complex ways in which government leaders, policymakers, and communities make decisions about the languages that will be taught as subjects or used as media of instruction in schools. English is often advertised as a social "good" with unquestioned instrumental value, yet access to quality English-medium education in low-income countries tends to be restricted to those with sufficient economic means to pay for it. As the capitalist world economy continues to change and grow, and assuming that translation technologies continue to improve, it is likely that the roles and relative importance of English as a global language will change significantly. Assessing the costs and benefits of acquiring English therefore takes on increased urgency. The book argues that a political economic approach is particularly appropriate in this endeavor, as it takes into account theories and empirical findings from a range of disciplines in order to assess and explain real-world phenomena that do not fit neatly into boxes labeled "economic," "social," "political" or "cultural." Together, the chapters in this volume argue for a new direction in language policy studies-grounded in political economy -- that will explain why English has been experienced as both a blessing and curse in different parts of the world, why English continues to be useful as a lingua franca for particular sectors of the global economy, and why it is a detriment to economic development in many low-income countries. The book will be invaluable to language policy scholars, policy-makers, and educators, significantly advancing research in this important field. English Is The Common Denominator That Unites The Work Presented In This Volume; It Provides A Focal Point To Illustrate The Ways In Which A Political Economic Approach Can Account For A Range Of Phenomena In Diverse Settings In Which A Global Language Has Attained A Special Status As (an Often Perceived) Tool For Socioeconomic Mobility. The Findings Reveal The Complex Ways In Which Government Leaders And Policymakers, As Well As Communities And Individuals In Those Communities, Make Decisions Within A Global Economy About The Languages That Will Be Taught As Subjects Or Used As Media Of Instruction In Schools. Whether Or Not The Straight For English Policy That Has Become Popular In Various Countries In Southern Africa And Elsewhere Is A Good Or Bad Idea, In Terms Of Improving School Completion And Literacy Rates, English Is Often Promoted By Its Advocates As A Social Good With Unquestioned Instrumental Value; Yet Access To Quality English Medium Education In Low-income Countries Is Mostly Restricted To Those With Sufficient Economic Means To Pay For It. As The Capitalist World-economy Undergoes Transformations, And Assuming That Translation Technologies Continue To Improve, It Is Likely That The Roles And Relative Importance That English As A Global Language Has Enjoyed Over The Past Century Will Change Significantly. Synchronic Contextual Analyses Of English In Various Countries And Regions Are Snapshots Of A Moving Target With Fuzzy Boundaries; This Is Even More So The Case When The Object Of Analysis Is Lingua Franca English, A Fluid, Contextually Realized Practice That May Be Described In Situ, Which Is Not Stable And Likely Never Will Be. The Degree To Which English Serves Effectively As A Lingua Franca Depends On Who The Interlocutors Are, The Situation, And The Extent To Which Interlocutors' Interests And Goals Are Mutually Compatible And Understood. Pt. I. Political Theory And Political Economy In Language Policy Research On English As A Global Language -- Political Economy And English As Global Language -- Global English And The Limits Of Liberalism : Confronting Global Capitalism And Challenges To The Nation-state -- Language Policy And Global Political Economy -- Language, Hegemony, And Economy -- Pt. Ii. Political Economy And Global English : Case Studies -- The Economics Of English In Europe -- Language Education, Economic Development, And Participation In The Greater Mekong Subregion -- Neoliberalism As Language Policy -- Why English Dominates The Central Economy : An Economic Perspective On Elite Closure And South African Language Policy -- Narratives Of Globalization In Language Politics In India -- Pt. Iii. Global English, Development, And Democracy -- The Ground Floor Of The World : On The Socioeconomic Consequences Of Linguistic Globalization -- Linguistic Diversity And Global English : The Pushmi-pullyu Of Language Policy And Political Economy -- English, The Global Lingua Franca? Edited By Thomas Ricento Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Text In English. This edited volume will articulate a new framework for language policy research that explores the connections between language policy and political economy in its analysis of how English affects the status of other languages in countries, specifically those where English is now spoken as a foreign or additional language.