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Drawing on a social semiotic framework, this paper sets out to examine two different semiotic systems whose default mode of expression is the human voice – language and music. Through comparing how each system differentially employs the human voice, we can identify both their commonalities and differences, and go some way to treating both equally within de Saussure’s envisaged broader field of “semiology”, avoiding the common trap of “linguistic imperialism”, i.e. taking language as the model for all semiotic systems. Starting by conceptualising the key relationship between the text, or unified instance of meaning-making, and the social contexts in which it functions, the paper then examines the material affordances utilised by each system, and the kinds of social meanings they express.

PurposeDisaster studies has emerged as an international interdisciplinary body of knowledge; however, similar to other academic disciplines, its terminology is predominantly anglophone. This paper explores the implications of translating disaster studies terminology, most often theorised in English, into other languages and back.Design/methodology/approachThe authors chose six of the most commonly used (as well as debated and contested) terms that are prominent in academic, policy and public discourses: resilience, vulnerability, capacity, disaster, hazard and risk. These words were translated into 54 languages and the meanings were articulated descriptively in cases where the translation did not have exactly the same meaning as the word in English. The authors then analysed these meanings in order to understand implications of disaster scholars working between dominant and “peripheral” languages.FindingsFindings of the study demonstrate that many of the terms so casually used in disaster studies in English do not translate easily – or at all – opening the concepts that are encoded in these terms for further interpretation. Moreover, the terms used in disaster studies are not only conceptualised in English but are also tied to an anglophone approach to research. It is important to consider the intertwined implications that the use of the terminology carries, including the creation of a “separate” language, power vs communication and linguistic imperialism.Originality/valueUnderstanding of the meaning (and contestation of meaning) of these terms in English provides an insight into the power relationships between English and the other language. Given the need to translate key concepts from English into other languages, it is important to appreciate their cultural and ideological “baggage”.

Aims and objectives: In Dagestan, Russian is the language of education, urban way of life, and upward social mobility, and the means of communication between speakers of different languages. This is a result of a quick and drastic change. At the end of the 19th century, Russian was spoken by less than 1% of the population. The aim of this paper is to understand how such rapid spread of Russian as an L2 became possible. Approach: The study uses quantitative data on Dagestanians’ language repertoires. We relate the command of Russian to certain facts from people’s biographies, such as the level of education, migration, warfare and military service, and other professional experience, and run regression analysis. Data and analysis: The data were collected by the method of retrospective family interviews during numerous field trips to highland Dagestan. We use information on 3519 individuals collected in 27 villages. Findings/conclusions: We conclude that the compulsory school education introduced in Dagestan in the 1930s is the social mechanism that resulted in the spread of Russian and its later development into a lingua franca. Russian was imposed from above and supported by the ideology that associated it with future and progress. Originality: This is the first attempt to apply quantitative methods to a large collection of field data to reveal social mechanisms underlying the spread of a single L2 instead of local bilingualism. Significance/implications: The spread of one lingua franca across a large territory is attested in many areas. We suppose that lingua francas of different origin result from different constellations of social factors and show that in Dagestan lingua franca was imposed by the authorities via a systematic educational campaign. We also suggest it was the extreme linguistic diversity of Dagestan that brought Russian from a widely known L2 to a lingua franca.

This article begins with examination of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s concept of language and human “national spirit”, and how one influences the other; it then suggests a concept of language inertia based on Humboldt’s research of the Indonesian Kawi language. At the heart of this concept is an idea that, when a major culture influences a minor culture, it imposes its own language(s) on said culture and its language(s); however, the outcome of this process is a birth of an entirely different, entity that is neither of the two original elements. Such is the dialectic of linguistic imperialism. This thesis is then briefly illustrated within the paradigm of a Semitic language (Arabic) influencing Indo-European languages, using the examples from Persian and Urdu linguistic and literary theory, mostly from the works of Shams-i Qays (Persian) and Muhammad Husain Azad (Urdu). Finally, the author proposes a concept of “Russian Urdu”, that is to say, a Russian-based language/register created with the influence of Islamic tradition and Arabic, Persian and Turkic languages, but a language that would be one of secular, syncretic, interreligious communication, as well as a significant linguistic and aesthetic phenomenon, existing parallel to other existing languages without replacing any of them, much like Urdu was/is in India. A brief sample of such language is presented and further possibilities for research are mentioned.

Authors of late eighteenth-century English dictionaries provided instruction in their front matter on how to use these reference works; how the language which they advocated for was superior to that in other dictionaries; and how users from regions outside of London could use dictionaries as self-help aids. The two authors discussed, James Buchanan and Thomas Sheridan, represent a group of lexicographers who attempted to impose structure on English to fix “problems” in pronunciation and writing. The authors of these dictionaries used their texts to assist readers in applying their methods to reduce unacceptable accents and improve understanding by others. These texts show that the English of England was prioritized by authors who were ministers, schoolmasters, and orators; that is, they were experts in their fields and were known specifically by their backgrounds and ideologies. That situation, however, is different from the anonymization and implicit politicization of online dictionaries today that neither name their writers nor obviously express editorial principles. Readers have become so accepting of what they read in online dictionaries that they do not question the validity of the information or from whence come senses and definitions, thus showing that there is an essential need for additional media literacy.

The paper examines the parallel existence of the global paradigm ‘linguistic imperialism’ and the linguistic/cultural paradigm in the African language system, which in their own right can have positive or negative effects, too. The other question that the paper looks at is the role of the great African lingua francas (e.g., Swahili) in this system.

19.yy’dan itibaren İngiliz sömürgeciliği ve ABD-Britanya kültürel yayılma politikaları gibi birbirleriyle alakalı birçok etmen sayesinde önemli bir uluslararası dil statüsü kazanan İngilizce, eğitimden turizme, sanattan edebiyata uzanan biçok farklı alanda muazzam bir kullanım sahası elde etmiştir. Günümüzde, küreselleşme, akademi, medya, müzik, TV ve spor gibi çok etkin yayılma mekanizmalarını kullanarak uluslararası geçerli dil konumunu devam ettirmektedir. Ancak, bu hakimiyet, ya da Robert Phillipson’un tabiriyle İngiliz dili emperyalizmi yerel dillerin unutulması hatta yok olması ve ulusal dillerin de ikinci dereceye düşürülmesi ve melezleşmesi anlamına gelmektedir. 20. yy. ortasından itibaren, Türkiye’nin ABD ile siyasal olarak yakınlaşması, Türk halkının hayatına ve diline geri dönüşü olmayan değişiklikler getirmiştir, ki bunun eleştirisi, bu çalışmanın iddia ettiği gibi, dil emperyalizmi kavramı çerçevesinde yapılabilir. Phillipson’un bu doğrultudaki teorik yaklaşımına dayanarak, bu çalışma, Türkiye’de İngilizce’nin kullanım şekillerini tartışmakta ve eleştirmektedir, böylece Türkçe’deki dil aşınmasına, dilsel alandaki kirliliğe, ve gençler arasındaki dil ayrımcılığına dikkat çekmeyi amaçlamaktadır., Starting to attain an important international language status in the world from the 19th century onwards thanks to many interrelated factors like British colonialism and later US-Britain cultural policies of expansion, English language has achieved an unprecedented prevalence in usage in different sectors ranging from education to tourism and art to literature and sports. Today, it keeps its reign as an international lingua franca, reinforcing its position by making use of very effective mechanisms of expansion such as globalization, academia, media, music, TV, and sports. This preponderance, or in Phillipson’s words, English linguistic imperialism, however connotes oblivion and even evanescence of vernacular and the inferiorization and hybridization of national languages. As mid-20th century onward, Turkey’s political convergence with the US has brought into the life and language of Turkish people irreversible changes whose critique, as this paper argues, can be made within the concept of linguistic imperialism. Drawing on theoretical approach by Phillipson, this paper thus discusses and critiques the ways English is used in Turkey, in an attempt to draw attention to the attrition in Turkish language, inquination in linguistic landscape, and language discrimination among the young.

Resistance to Western Culture can be seen through translator’s strategy of translating novels. This research aims to analyze the translation of culture-specific items in Indonesian translated versions of Of Mice and Men, originally written by John Steinbeck. The selected translated versions belong to the work of Pramoedya Ananta Toer (2003) and Ariyantri E. Tarman (2017). The translations of culture-specific items are analyzed under Transnational American Studies paradigm to find out the dominant translation principle applied in both translated versions and the results are discussed from the perspective of postcolonial translation studies. From the data, it is found out that the domestication principle is more dominant than foreignization strategy. Analyzed from postcolonial translation studies, the tendency to use the domestication principle in translated novels show the efforts of the target culture to fight against Western culture as the source culture. Although both Indonesian versions of Of Mice and Men mostly apply the domestication principle, the recent translated version (T2) shows an increase in the use of foreignization principle in which English loanwords are frequently used. From a postcolonial translation studies’ perspective, it can be concluded that target culture is against Western culture; however, the signs of cultural imperialism, especially linguistic imperialism, have grown in the recent years.

Globalization and the key role of the English language redefine the contact situations of intercultural communication where such phenomena as “linguistic imperialism”, “linguicism”, “ethnocentrism” and suchlike are no longer a news for the participants. That is especially vibrant within present-day mass-media discourse as a specific case of intercultural communication. All this can’t but affect a foreign language classroom making us revisit the main goal of FLT – building intercultural communicative competence. The authors found that it is crucial to consider the problem of verbal manipulation in the system of teaching a language within intercultural approach and question what instruments of verbal manipulation are used to influence the listener within intercultural communication. The paper examines manipulative strategy and tactics, as well as their role in the context of intercultural foreign-language education. As a response to the problem, the article presents the authors’ definition of conventional communicative competence as the way to restore the broken intercultural communication within verbal manipulation to the shared meaning-making.

In recent decades, the commodification of the English language has aroused intensive research interest in the sociolinguistics on a global scale, but studies on the commodification of the Chinese language are relatively rare. Most studies take a critical approach in relation to its adverse impacts on minority rights and social justice. This study examined the language landscape in Chiangmai, Thailand, and the linguistic beliefs of local Thai Chinese language learners. Based on their feedback, this study investigated the commodification of Chinese language education in the community of Chinese language learners in Chiangmai. We found that from a less critical perspective, the commodification of a second language provides more accessible and affordable educational opportunities for learners, especially those from low-income families, and at the same time language proficiency can broaden learners&rsquo, career choices and provide employees with additional value in industries, such as tourism, commerce, and services. This finding implies that language commodification, rather than typically being associated with linguistic imperialism and unbalanced socio-economic status, can be a contributing factor in promoting higher-education availability and social sustainability in certain circumstances. There may be some mediating factors between the commodification of language and changes in the sustainable balance of language, opening up space for future research to explore.

CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor), a hot cake for the analysts, business Tycons, politicians, traders and above all the common person. CPEC has become the centre of attention for the whole world as it has been entitled as “a game changer”, since Chine is getting access to a big economy of the European and Gulf states through. Gawader has become a Global eye catcher. This issue is being manipulated and portrayed in different colours on the national and international forums. The present study has been invested to explore its effect on the linguistic map of the world generally and Pakistan particularly. The present explores the prospects of CPE as creating new linguistic changes and its hegemonic acceptance. It is an analytical research of media discourse to expose the manipulation of social power and inequality on national, regional and global levels being reflected through text and talk in both social and political contexts. CDA has been used as a methodology to unveil the biased language and to make the readers aware of manipulations strategies. The present study aims at make a critical discourse analysis of BBC (British Broadcast Company) Kuala Lumpur‘s report published on 22nd February 2012 to investigate the manipulative strategy of the editor that how CPEC can be involved in a linguistic debate on global level and how it can disturb the linguistic imperialism. To meet this purpose a journal with the title of “ Is English or Mandarin the language of the future?” published in BBC Kuala Lumpur has been selected to be analysed on the modal of Van Dijk (2000) in terms of discursive strategies The nature of the study is both quantitative and qualitative. The results are shown through numbers and tables to present clearer results. The results show a mixed approach towards the acceptance of the mega project and apprehensions of the stakeholders.

This paper forms a part of my PhD research on idiom comprehension and processing through home cultures. The article argues that using home cultural assumptions in teaching idioms could result in easy and quick processing of such figurative aspects of speech. Shedding light on the nature of teaching, however, reveals that teaching English in Algeria is a fairly target culture-based process. This can slow the comprehension process and on some occasions, confuse the learner. This paper reveals the results of a set of semistructured interviews and comprehension tests that were conducted with teachers and learners. Learners were divided into two groups and taught throughout a four-week period using teaching materials that assumed home and target culture lessons of idioms, respectively. Students sat for a pre- and a post-test and were also interviewed after finishing the lessons. The results revealed that students recorded positive reactions toward home culture based teaching of idioms. Comprehension tests also reported a significant difference between the two groups’ performance on idiom comprehension.

This chapter explores the proliferation of English as a “world” language, including the topics of overview of world Englishes, responses to English as a world language, sociolinguistic debates on native speakerism, and native-speakerism as hegemony. Three circles, namely the inner circle, the outer circle, and the expanding circle, are ostensibly equivalent to native, ESL (English as a Second Language), and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) denominations. World Englishes show the spread of English, pluralism, diversity, heterogeny, and the development of English as a lingua franca and a global language. In this chapter, I review people’s various responses to the thriving of English in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. The sociolinguistic debates on native speakerism entail the definition of “native speaker,” native speaker and non-native speaker dichotomy, linguistic norm, and native status. When I explore native speakerism as hegemony, I elaborate on native speaker myth, linguistic imperialism, native speaker fallacy, and standardization as ideology.

In this paper, I attempt to trace the evolution of LAEL over the 50 years of its history, intertwining the narrative with my own personal trajectory since my arrival in Brazil in 1976. The narrative makes no claim to being a step by step account of the different facets of the Programme’s history. Rather, the focus is on how its developments through the years mirror the fortunes of the very area of academic pursuit we call Applied Linguistics.

With the spread of English around the globe, academics increasingly seek to figure out what global English means to the world. Some accept English globalisation as a reality and take it as natural, neutral and beneficial for international and intercultural communication (Crystal, 2003). Some recognise English skills as important linguistic capital and must-have global literacy (Park & Wee, 2012; Tsui & Tollefson, 2007). However, others associate the global expansion of English with linguistic imperialism and the death of indigenous languages (Phillipson, 2009). Some regard globally spread English as native English varieties, particularly American and British English (Modiano, 2001; Trudgill, 1999), others argue for the rise of local varieties of World Englishes (WE) (Bolton, 2005; Kachru, 1986) and the international use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) (Jenkins, 2007; Seidlhofer, 2011). Although these generic interpretations of English have solid arguments from their own perspectives, none is sufficient to elucidate all the ‘complexity of ideological ramifications of the spread of English in [any] particular locality’ (Pan, 2011: 79).

I argue in this paper that the new language policy of the Nigerian Army recognizes and promotes the dominant languages as resources for military training, intelligence gathering and peace building, while the dominated languages are marginalized, alienated and relegated, thus the policy infringes on the fundamental linguistic rights of speakers of minoritized languages in the army. I further maintain that the Nigerian Army’s exclusive language policy is harmful to the army as a national institution and call for explicit status planning of the Nigerian Pidgin to serve as the language of wider communication in the army in response to its emerging sociolinguistic challenges.

This paper uses the corpus tools DOTA and WordSmith to see if they can provide any indication as to why some label Phillipson’s theory of Linguistic Imperialism as a conspiracy theory. The tools were applied to multiple corpora composed of texts drawn from: Phillipson’s works, conspiracy theory books, and a control corpus of general academic papers. The quantitative data generated was subjected to a corpus informed qualitative analysis with the tools being applied to facilitate a corpus-assisted discourse study of Linguistic Imperialism.

English Language Teaching is a globalised industry which attempts to standardise the use of textbooks and teaching materials (Gray 2002), implement universally accepted teaching methodologies (Canagarajah 2002) and promote internationally recognised examinations (Littlejohn 2013). This one-size-fits-all objective not only ignores local contexts and specific learners’ needs, but also promotes the concept of the idealised ‘native’ English language teacher who adheres to teaching tenets and precepts emanating from English-speaking countries. In this paper, we argue that discrimination against Mexican teachers is not so much carried out through paying lower wages but perpetrated through job discrimination, unequal working conditions and fewer opportunities for career advancement. Deference to the idealised teacher increases racial, linguistic and professional tensions and discrimination in countries such as Mexico where local teachers’ knowledge, experience, insights and practices are often disregarded if not disparaged. The investment that Mexican ‘non-native’ teachers make in time, money and effort in certifying themselves as professionals is often thwarted, as ‘native-speaking’ and ‘native-trained’ teachers frequently receive privileged working conditions and employment benefits. By conducting semi-structured informal interviews and written questionnaires, we narrate and analyse seventeen Mexican teachers’ experiences of racism, professional belittlement and discriminatory employment practices, along with the experiences of Mexican EFL students. Therefore, the article helps raise non-native teacher awareness covering a range of discriminatory and inequitable employment practices.

The over 285 indigenous languages of Cameroon may be crushed by the English language. To ensure a sustainable linguistic ecological balance whose peace is undoubtedly threatened by the global imperialistic terrors of English colonialism, an overhaul of ELT practitioners is needed. The English language is taught and learned in Cameroon against a conflictual linguistic platform of French (the other official language of questionable equal status as English), Pidgin English and over 285 indigenous languages. Of these local languages, just about 40 are currently being used (taught) in education at the different levels of education in the country. The aim of this paper was to examine the English language politics, practices and teaching. It thereafter evaluated English language teachers’ perception of the so called English Language Teaching Tenets. It also aimed at assessing the functional load of English and it ascertained the extent to which it was threatening the development of local languages as well as effective access to education in Cameroon.

Whether second language (L2) teaching contributes to the enslavement or empowerment of learners has become a branch in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages research. More and more discussions are emerging, and they tend to base on more and more diverse theoretical frameworks. This article aims to shed light on this issue by exploring it from a Hegelian framework of language. Among Hegel’s theories of language, two notions, namely, mutual recognition and universalisation of culture are selected for discussions. The conclusion is that based on Hegel’s theories of language L2 teaching has a stronger tendency of contributing to the empowerment of learners.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues of contemporary language conflict in educational contexts. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper which examines current educational practices and policies through the lens of linguistic hegemony. Findings The authors identify three primary areas in which linguistic hegemony persists at present, including English-only policies, varied perspectives on language difference and harsh graduation mandates. Originality/value The authors extend upon Antonio Gramsci’s notion of hegemonic culture as well as Robert Phillipson’s concept of linguistic imperialism in identifying current instances of linguistic hegemony in educational policies and practices throughout the USA.

Introduction: the process of globalisation has strengthened the position of the English language as a means of communication in all spheres of life, including scientific communication. The expansion of one language not only necessitates changes in the status of other national languages and the emergence of a hierarchical relationship between them, but also significantly affects the political and economic balance of power in the world. The global dominance of English in science not only confers distinct advantages on its native speakers but also discriminates against scholars from non-Anglophone societies. As a result, a threat arises concerning the loss to humanity of unique, culture-specific ways of understanding reality. Materials and Methods: on the basis of an analysis of modern trends and literature review, such mani¬festations of linguistic imperialism in the field of academic communication as the IMRaD format, CLIL teaching technologies and English academic writing centres are revealed. Subsequently, these phenomena are investigated using empirical sociological methods: in-depth expert interviews, participant observation and the content study of chemistry papers indexed in Scopus. Results: it is demonstrated that the Anglophone societies use the global distribution of the English language to advance their competitive advantage in the field of science. The implementation of English language instruction in higher education and Anglophone communicative patterns in scholarly communication – particularly with regard to the representation of research results – might have a negative effect both on the development of researchers’ competencies and their future effectiveness in advancing science. Discussion and Conclusions: it is concluded that an increased awareness of potential threats caused by the dominance of the English language in scientific communication is needed among all the participants of scientific communication, including higher school lecturers. This can be achieved by using bilingual and bicultural educational approaches.

A language is said to be dominating and prevalent when the military and economic forces of a powerful country make it either control or endanger the language(s) of less power countries. As such, the heavily supported spread of English language by UK and USA and duly the importance granted to the language as a lingua franca have made English acquire the label of global linguistic imperialism (LI). This research attempts to shed light on the LI aspect of English as a foreign language in Iraq from educated Iraqis’ viewpoint. It further aims to answer the following prime question: Has English language acquired a “LI” aspect in Iraq after 2003; the date of American occupation, in the light of the evasive and dominant nature of its use in the different domains of Iraqis’ life? Accordingly, a questionnaire of 25 items was first presented to a panel of jurors to approve its face and content validity. It was then administered to a sample of 200 educated Iraqis chosen randomly from different academic and social sectors to test its reliability. The results show that educated Iraqis opined the existence of a LI aspect of English in Iraq after 2003. Furthermore, their views did not vary with regard to the wide use of English in the different domains of the Iraqi society.

In his book Metaphor, Zoltan Kovecses (2010) explains how metaphors allow us to compare abstract concepts with more concrete terms in order to make sense of our world. Using his theoretical framework and definition of conceptual metaphors, this chapter treats Lawino, the main character in Okot p’ Bitek’s Song of Lawino as a “mega metaphor” for African indigenous languages and argues that the properties and characteristics of African indigenous languages are understood in terms of the characteristics of Lawino. Lawino’s trials and experiences are compared to those of African indigenous languages in contemporary Africa. This chapter argues that it is possible for African language users to embrace and support a peaceful coexistence of both indigenous African languages and languages of wider communication.

This paper presents the synthesis of a study on the English language ideologies (ELI) underlying the Federal Program entitled “Languages without Borders-English” (LwBE). The investigation draws on texts from the legal, educational, and journalistic spheres about the enactment of the Program. Using NVivo 11 software, these texts were stored and categorized in the light of the Policy Cycle Approach and Critical Discourse Analysis. The overlapping of six ELI - standard language, English language as a commodity, native-speakerism, instrumentalist, global language and linguistic imperialism - is conceived as a common trait of LwBE in discourses, displaying tensions between the ratification and the questioning of English hegemony in the language policy engendered by the Program, within the context of the internationalization of Brazilian higher education. RESUMO Este artigo apresenta a síntese de um estudo sobre ideologias da língua inglesa (ILI) que permeiam o Programa Federal “Idiomas sem Fronteiras - Inglês” (IsFI). A pesquisa analisa textos das esferas legal, educacional e jornalística que tratam da realização do Programa. Utilizando o software NVivo 11, os textos foram armazenados e categorizados segundo pressupostos da Abordagem do Ciclo de Políticas e da Análise de Discurso Crítica. O entrelaçamento de seis ILI - língua padrão, língua inglesa como mercadoria, falante nativo, instrumentalista, língua global e imperialismo linguístico - é tomado como característico do IsFI em discursos marcados por tensões entre ratificação e questionamento da hegemonia do inglês na política linguística engendrada pelo Programa, no âmbito da internacionalização do ensino superior brasileiro.

In this paper, Bergen explores the affects of colonialism on language rights in Ghana. With approximately eighty languages spoken, Ghana is a linguistically rich and diverse country with a colonially-imposed language as the only state-sponsored language. By examining the linguistic, political, economic, educational, and cultural context of what was once the Gold Coast the paper discusses the factors that keep a system of linguistic imperialism in place. Secondary research is used to provide an introduction to the genealogical language families present in post-colonial Ghana and the customs and laws that govern their usage. By identifying the nuances that keep this linguistic structure in place, the paper aims to open the discussion on the lasting effects of colonialism as well as the ties between language and cultural and national identity.

Discourse is often defined as social meaning-making practice, including but not limited to the linguistic. Even if language is seen as dominant, discourse analysts have found it necessary to analyze non-linguistic data such as images, video, music, architecture, monuments, spatial configurations, or toys. This chapter covers arguments for analyzing multiple types of data: first, within the linguistic domain, e.g. different genres, or spoken and written text; second, different modes as defined in Multimodal (Critical) Discourse Analysis. The analysis of such varied data must address the specifics of each type and offers the potential benefits of triangulation. Critics have argued that such work may require an interdisciplinary team and risks incompatibilities between methods and underlying epistemologies, impressionistic analyses, reinventing the wheel, or propagating linguistic imperialism.

This study explores in a descriptive way the overlapping relation between culture and English-language teaching. It lays out the different points of view and interpretations of linguistic researchers about the hot debate of the importance of introducing culture into ESL/EFL classrooms. While some believe that the current age of globalization needs us to expose our ESL/EFL learners to foreign cultures in their ESL/EFL learning, others disagree and deny the importance of doing so. Some go more radical and consider it as linguistic imperialism that should be excluded. The current study also discusses the opinions and views of researchers on the integration of language teaching and culture with some empirical studies.

Adopting a multilingual perspective, this empirical paper explores the varied use and meanings of referents of leadership and management among 24 Welsh senior managers. We argue the importance of recognizing the linguistic imperialism of the English language – and its dominant leadership discourse of the heroic individual leader – over locally signified referents of leadership and management in other languages and discourses. At present, the lexical item leadership lacks evaluation of its relevance and meaning within other languages and multilingual contexts. We add to this gap through a discussion of research that analyses 24 Welsh senior managers’ reflections on referents of leadership and management and their varied meanings in their two official workplace languages, namely, Welsh and English. Based on the findings, we explore linguistic power dynamics represented in their reflections on this language diverse work setting and conclude with implications for the practice of leadership and management.

English, as one colonial’s legacy, is a lingua franca. It connects people with different first languages and cultures around the world. As the demand of 21st century learning, the learning of English in EFL speaking classes has changed. It no longer focuses on how to speak like native speakers, but to speak like an educated person; to speak in English confidently and fluently, demonstrating good grammar and correct pronunciation. Therefore, World English with different accents and dialects exist. Furthermore, to explain the nature of English which is the result of Western dominaton during colonialism and imperialism, Postcolonial theories can explain the significance of World English in EFL speaking classes. This library research, then, aims to answer this research question: ‘How do postcolonial theories contribute significances to the use of the World English in EFL speaking classes?’. From the theoretical analysis employed from experts, important figures, and previous prominent theories and findings on discussing the same topic, there are two postcolonial theories which contribute to the existence of the World English in today’s EFL speaking classes. First, English Linguistic Imperialism which influenced the Other, East, or Orient to feel it was compulsory to speak in English like natives in the past. Second, Bhabha’s hybridity and Fanon’s cultural resistance which help to give an understanding about accepting mixed cultures and identity. Finally, the discussion of the study will raise an awareness of how Postcolonial theories relate to the presence of the World English used by non-native English speakers and give an insight to EFL learners and practitioners about the World English in speaking classes.

This article examines the colonial legacies shaping current language requirements for immigrants applying for settlement or citizenship in Britain. The article argues that common sense understandings of ‘national language’ and monolingualism/multilingualism were developed in the context of imperial expansion, the legacies of which resonate today in a disdain for multilingualism and other Englishes conceived as hampering cohesion. Put simply, other languages and other English are spoken here because English was there. Drawing on interviews with applicants and English teaching professionals, the article discusses how participants variously experience English language requirements. The analysis shows how the colonial legacies supporting the rise of English as a ‘world language’ cast it as the locus of a regime of audibility that establishes a hierarchy between ‘the English’ and the ‘anglicised’. In today’s Britain, the multilingualism of the other is not external and prior to Britain, but rather speaks volumes to and about contemporary Britain.

The major objective of African Union is to have a united and strong Africa. This objective manifests in their anthem. One of the major media of unification, identification and development amongst a group of peoples is culture which embodies language. This paper attempts to investigate the linguistic culture of African Union (AU) and to find out whether language and culture go a long way in fostering unity, identity and development among member states of AU. The data were collected from the AU deliberations which were applied to the present day situation of AU. The finding show that the AU is still under linguistic imperialism; that the African identity has eluded AU and that the quest for African development is still a mirage. The suggestion then, is that AU should go back to the drawing board and be linguistically liberated and independent so as to foster real unity, to have real identity which will ignite reasonable technological, scientific and manpower development.