Linguistic Imperialism Continued Book 1.indb 1 2/4/2010 6:02:59 PM With the publication of Linguistic Imperialism in 1992 Robert Phillipson provided a provocative but timely account of English as an international language, a book which has become essential reading for anyone involved in English teaching or education worldwide. Linguistic Imperialism Continued provides a collection of some of Phillipson’s most important and influential work, which reflects his thinking on the expansion of English since the publication of his seminal book. Phillipson’s work is not only thought-provoking and ground-breaking, but it gets to the very heart of some of the key issues around the global dominance of English in the world. It provides a major contribution to our understanding of the role of English in the contemporary world. Peter Martin University of East London The scholarly work of Robert Phillipson has made, and continues to make, a major contribution to our understanding of the social construction of English as a ‘world language’ as representing potent symbolic capital within the global cultural economy. This anthology comprising some of his key writings lays bare the discursive political, cultural, economic and social inequalities intrinsic to the idea and ideal of pursuing English as medium of communication to the exclusion of other languages historically grounded in different cultures and societies. Linguistic Imperialism Continued underscores the fact that English language, historically, and in the contemporary world represents a power/knowledge discourse par excellence. Naz Rassool University of Reading Robert Phillipson’s present book represents his continued understanding and interest in the way policies which ensure the global dominance of English in all domains of power are maintained and legitimated. It is a fascinating work which manifests how humanistic values can be blended with erudition and analytical incisiveness to create the kind of scholarship which can transcend the mere description of reality our research methods enforce upon us. Tariq Rahman Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad In this major contribution to critical sociolinguistics, Phillipson describes ‘Global’ English as ‘a normative project, not a reality but a vision that powerful forces are keen to bring about’. At the heart of this project, Phillipson argues, is a process of ‘accumulation of linguistic capital by dispossession’ oriented towards a product packaged as the already attained of ‘Global’ English. He brings to bear on the study of this project/ process/ product a social science perspective that maps the variably conscious agency and objectification of the many actors in this drama. His approach scrutinizes the stage on which these actors stand to find where some features of this stage itself constrain what neoliberal doctrine portrays as unfettered informed choices by free individuals. A compelling engagement with some of the central sociolinguistic forces in today’s world. Probal Dasgupta Linguistic Research Unit Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata Book 1.indb 2 2/4/2010 6:02:59 PM Book 1.indb 3 2/4/2010 6:02:59 PM Linguistic Imperialism Continued ORIENT BLACKSWAN PRIVATE LIMITED Registered Office 3-6-752 Himayatnagar, Hyderabad 500 029 (A.P.), INDIA e-mail: [email protected] Distributed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives by Orient Blackswan Private Limited. Other Offices Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Ernakulam, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, New Delhi, Patna Distributed in the rest of the world by Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 270 Madison Avenue, New York 10016, USA Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Phillipson, Robert. Linguistic imperialism continued / Robert Phillipson. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-415-87201-0 (pbk) 1. English language--Political aspects--Developing countries. 2. English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speakers. 3. English language--Political aspects--Foreign countries. 4. English language--Social aspects--Developing countries. 5. English language--Social aspects--Foreign countries. 6. Imperialism. I. Title. PE2751.P53 2010 420.9--dc22 2009026297 © Robert Phillipson, 2009 First published 2009 Typeset in 11/13 pt Garamond by System Graphics (India) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi Published by Orient Blackswan Private Limited 3-6-752 Himayatnagar, Hyderabad 500 029 Email: [email protected] The card reproduced on the cover, which bears the signatures of President Roosevelt and Mr Churchill was signed at Placenta Bay (see references in index to Churchill and Roosevelt). Copyright design, by courtesy Messers. Ralph Tuck & Sons Ltd. From Atlantic Meeting (1943). H. V. Morton, Methuen and Co. Ltd., London. Book 1.indb 4 2/4/2010 6:02:59 PM Contents Acknowledgements vii Linguistic imperialism—an introductory encyclopedia entry 1 1. The study of continued linguistic imperialism 8 2. English in the new world order: variations on a 26 theme of linguistic imperialism and ‘world’ English 3. Language policy and linguistic imperialism 54 4. Linguistic imperialism: a conspiracy, or a conspiracy of silence? 72 5. English, no longer a foreign language in Europe? 82 6. The linguistic imperialism of neoliberal empire 103 7. Lingua franca or lingua frankensteinia? EEnngglliisshh iinn European integration and globalisation 147 Comments 177 Response 191 8. English in higher education, panacea or pandemic? 195 Book Reviews 237 Index 281 Book 1.indb 5 2/4/2010 6:02:59 PM Book 1.indb 6 2/4/2010 6:02:59 PM Acknowledgements Sources and permissions, which are gratefully acknowledged. ‘Linguistic imperialism’. Entry in Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, Second edition. Keith Brown (ed.), volume 10, 44-47 (under ‘Linguistic pragmatics’, section edited by Jacob Mey, ms 4309). Oxford: Elsevier, 2006. © Elsevier. ‘English in the new world order: variations on a theme of linguistic imperialism and “world” English’. In Ideology, politics and language policies: Focus on English, ed. Thomas Ricento. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 87-106, 2000. © John Benjamins. ‘Language policy and linguistic imperialism’. In An introduction to language policy. Theory and method, ed. Thomas Ricento. Oxford: Blackwell, 346-361, 2006. ©© ��iilleeyy--BBllaacckkwweellll.. ‘Linguistic imperialism: a conspiracy, or a conspiracy of silence?’ Language policy, 6/3-4, 377-383, 2007. © Springer Science and Business Media. ‘English, no longer a foreign language in Europe?’ In International Handbook of English Language Teaching, Part 1, ed. Jim Cummins and Chris Davison. New York: Springer, 123- 136, 2007. © SSpprriinnggeerr SScciieennccee aanndd BBuussiinneessss MMeeddiiaa.. ‘The linguistic imperialism of neoliberal empire’. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 5/1, 2008, 1-43, 2008. © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. ‘Lingua franca or lingua frankensteinia? English in European integration and globalization’. World Englishes, 27/2, ‘Forum’ , 250-284, 2008. © �iley-Blackwell. Book review of A.L. Khanna, Mahendra K. Verma, R.K. Agnihotri and S.K. Sinha 1998. Adult ESOL learners in Britain, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 22/5, 2001, 454-456. © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Book review of Ulrich Ammon (ed.) 2001. The dominance of English as a language of science. Effects on other languages and language communities. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, Vol. 1, no. 2, 2002, 163-169. © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Review article, English in globalization: three approaches (books by de Swaan, Block and Cameron, and Brutt-Griffler). Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, Vol. 3/1, 73-84, 2004. © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Book review of Michael Cronin 2004. Translation and globalization. London: Routledge, 2003. Language policy 5, 2006, 227-232. © Springer Science and Business Media. Book review of Viv Edwards 22000044.. Multilingualism in the English-speaking world. Pedigree of nations, OOxxffoorrdd: Blackwell. World Englishes, 24/3, 2005, 395-397. © �iley-Blackwell. Book review of Angel M.Y. Lin and Peter W. Martin (eds) 2005. Decolonisation, globalisation: Language-in-education policy and practice. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2005. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 29/1, 2007, 139-141. © Cambridge University Press. Book 1.indb 7 2/4/2010 6:03:00 PM Book 1.indb 8 2/4/2010 6:03:00 PM Linguistic imperialism—an introductory encyclopedia entry The study of linguistic imperialism focuses on how and why certain languages dominate internationally, and on attempts to account for such dominance in an explicit, theoretically founded way. Language is one of the most durable legacies of European colonial and imperial expansion. English, Spanish, and Portuguese are the dominant languages of the Americas. In Africa, the languages of some of the colonizing powers, England, France, and Portugal are more firmly entrenched than ever, as English is in several Asian countries. The study of linguistic imperialism can help to clarify whether the winning of political independence led to a linguistic liberation of Third World countries, and if not, why not. Are the former colonial languages a useful bond with the international community and necessary for state formation and national unity internally? Or are they a bridgehead for Western interests, permitting the continuation of a global system of marginalization and exploitation? �hat is the relationship between linguistic dependence (continued use of a European language in a former non-European colony) and economic dependence (the export of raw materials and import of technology and know-how)? In a globalizing world, has English shifted from serving Anglo-American interests into functioning as an instrument for more diverse constituencies? Or does US dominance in the neoliberal economy constitute a new form of empire that consolidates a single imperial language? Imperialism has traditionally been primarily concerned with economic and political aspects of dominance (Hobson 1902). Later theorists Book 1.indb 1 2/4/2010 6:03:00 PM