ABSTRACT

Canagarajah’s (1999) Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English Language Teaching has received ongoing attention among those concerned with resisting global English language policies. Ranging from language rights movements to growing interest in multilingual education, scholars have increasingly countered language policies that deny minoritized languages and multilingual practices in the public sphere (May, 2008, 2012; Ricento, 2006; Tupas, 2015). These and other scholars (Lin, 2013; Tollefson, 2013) argue for resisting hegemonic nation-state and neoliberal ideologies toward promoting equitable language policies and practices. Lin (2013) suggests that

[W]e….need to confront ourselves with a central set of tasks or questions: why are students and teachers constantly put under such language policies that are counterproductive to their learning and teaching? What are the legitimation processes of such policies, and what (are) the hegemonic mechanisms at work? Why are these hegemonies so persistent and difficult to break? What can initiate change in language policy and planning? What further resources can local actors harness to counter the hegemony of these policies?