Global or local? – Notions of nationalism and coloniality in ELT material

ABSTRACT

English language learners should become successful intercultural speakers and global citizens promoting qualities that go beyond national boundaries. Supposed to be globally appropriate, global course books from Global North publishing houses reproduce coloniality and are neither neutral nor free of nationalism. Local(ised) teaching materials allow contextualised content but fall short, with negligible adaptions. Interviews with lecturers at Savannakhet University show: the global course books barely leave room for Lao students to express their experiences. In a return to the nation and to decolonise education, I argue for local(ised) material including pluralistic and multicultural forms of nationalism, building on the learners' diverse backgrounds.

Englischlernenden sollen zu erfolgreichen interkulturellen Sprechenden und Weltbürgern werden, die sich für Qualitäten einsetzen, die über nationale Grenzen hinausgehen. Angeblich global angemessene Lehrbücher von Verlagen des Globalen Nordens reproduzieren Kolonialität und sind weder neutral noch frei von Nationalismus. Lokal(isierte) Materialien erlauben kontextualisierte Inhalte, greifen aber mit vernachlässigbaren Adaptionen zu kurz. Interviews mit Englischdozierenden der Universität Savannakhet zeigen: Die globalen Lehrbücher bieten den laotischen Studierenden kaum Raum, ihre Erfahrungen auszudrücken. In einer Rückbesinnung auf die Nation und Dekolonisierung der Bildung plädiere ich für lokal(isiert)es Material, das pluralistische und multikulturelle Formen des Nationalismus beinhaltet – aufbauend auf den vielfältigen Hintergründen der Lernenden.

KEYWORDS:

• TESOL
• coloniality
• ELT material
• global citizenship education
• postmethod pedagogy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Erasmus+ and Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft [Studienförderwerk Klaus Murmann der Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw)].

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Dengler

Rebecca Dengler is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Education Karlsruhe, Germany. In her case study, she examines intercultural barriers to English language learning that arise from the use of Western or ‘international’ English course books at Savannakhet University in Laos. Her research interest focuses on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), intercultural aspects of language learning and teaching, course book development, and decolonising ELT material. She has previously completed her teacher training to become a primary teacher of English and Science specialising in bilingual teaching and learning.