English, Identity and Critical Literacy

Abstract

While we hold that cultural colonization in English teaching in the cross-cultural context is a legitimate concern, we argue that when overstretched it tends to ignore the complex power relations within a culture by imposing homogeneity on it. It may also fossilize the role a foreign language can play in a multilingual context, which, we believe, cannot be reduced to simplistic terms of cultural subjugation. We will use an example from the teaching of English argumentation in China to show that English in its contact with Chinese interrupts an otherwise inert cognitive process based on habituation, thus participating in and contributing to the cultivation of critical literacy. Translingual ability is what makes critical literacy possible.

Keywords:

• English teaching
• colonialism
• identity
• critical literacy
• translingual

Acknowledgements

I am greatly indebted to Prof. Horner for his insightful comments on both the abstract and the draft. I am also grateful to Dr. Ellis and Prof. Lu for the books they sent me for the research.

Notes

1. I owe this to Prof. Engell, professor of English at Harvard University.