Language Ideologies and English Education in Neoliberal Contexts

Language ideologies in neoliberal contexts frame English not merely as a means of communication but as a commodified skill integral to individual competitiveness and national economic strategies. Under market-oriented governance, English education becomes both a site and instrument of policy efforts to cultivate human capital, drive internationalisation and validate global rankings. This dynamic shapes pedagogical approaches, assessment regimes and the positioning of teachers and learners as entrepreneurial actors. Critical scholarship reveals tensions between the global prestige of English and the erosion of linguistic diversity, with English proficiency serving as a form of cultural capital that reproduces socioeconomic inequalities. Across Asia, Africa and Latin America, debates centre on the balance between promoting English for access to global networks and preserving local languages and identities. Educational reforms in higher education often adopt English as a medium of instruction to attract international students and enhance institutional status, yet risk marginalising non-elite learners and undermining multilingual competencies. Contemporary research further explores how digital platforms and social media amplify neoliberal discourses by enabling teachers and learners to brand themselves as market-savvy ‘language entrepreneurs’. In sum, the study of language ideologies and English education in neoliberal contexts illuminates the interplay between policy, practice and power, highlighting critical implications for equity, identity and the sustainability of linguistic pluralism.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have shown that the ascent of English as a global lingua franca operates through complex mechanisms of economic and cultural hegemony. A sociolinguistic analysis examines historical trajectories from colonial frameworks to contemporary digital economies, revealing how English dominance is reinforced across governance, science and commerce. Interdisciplinary work integrates policy critique and empirical case studies of post-colonial and expanding-circle nations, offering refined insights into the hidden language policies embedded within global rankings and technology platforms. This research advances theoretical understandings of linguistic imperialism and informs the design of more inclusive language policies that acknowledge power asymmetries and local community needs.

Language Ideologies and English Education in Neoliberal Contexts publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in language ideologies and english education in neoliberal contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Language ideology: The shared beliefs and attitudes about language’s role and value within social, political and economic systems.

Neoliberalism: An economic and political paradigm emphasising market competition, privatisation and individual entrepreneurialism.

Medium of instruction (MoI): The language used to teach academic content in educational institutions.

Platformization: The process by which digital platforms transform social and professional activities into market-driven interactions.

Entrepreneurial subjectivity: The personal orientation and identity shaped by market imperatives, emphasising self-investment and competitiveness.

References

1. English language hegemony: retrospect and prospect. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024).
2. Competing for Views and Students: The Implications of Platformization for Online Language Teaching. TESOL Quarterly (2024).
3. Precarious privilege: identity (re)construction among international students returning to South Korea. Applied Linguistics Review (2024).
4. Neoliberalism as language policy. Language in Society (2013).