ABSTRACT
Common sense perception of English in India is driven by aspirational ideologies and its privileged positioning in education has led to social inequality, exclusion, and a new ‘caste system’. The chapter examines the dynamics of dominance of EMI perpetuated by the elite construction of neoliberalism and imbibed by the aspirational middle class who consider English education as an economic asset and a route out of social marginalization.
The range of variations in how English is placed in different types of schools in India Is examined through two major paradigms – English as a social construct for ‘development and negotiation of its role in Indian multilingual ethos. We show that the categories of EMI in India, fuelled by social class differences and early multilingual socialisation, sustain and entrench wide differences in the orientation to English and, consequently, in the quality of teaching-learning of English. We argue that these differences, in turn, lead to social inequality and exclusion. The chapter argues for the need to foster an inclusive pedagogy located within the framework of multilingual education that provides all learners with access to English through their home languages.
