Table Of ContentLinguistic Imperialism Continued
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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