Decolonising Language Policy: Insights from the Global North and Global South

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Language, Decoloniality And Social Justice

Abstract

This study critically examines how language policies in the Global North and South reflect colonial legacies that shape educational access, identity formation, and epistemic legitimacy. Language has always been a social justice issue, particularly in today’s postmodern and globalized society, where people can easily move across borders and access information on social media platforms. There are variations across the contexts in making a place for majority languages such as English and indigenous languages. Engaging with critical post-colonial theories and critical discourse analysis, this study presents insights into language policies from Ghana, the U.K., Jamaica, and the U.S. The analysis reveals that language education policies still reflect the colonial legacies of Great Britain.

Authors

• Giovanni E. Whyte, University of North Dakota

• Elvis ResCue, University of Birmingham