Global English in the Wake of the Collapse of Globalism

摘要

Drawing on recent empirical findings, this article argues that the advent of global English is fundamentally related to the massive presence of English as a mandatory subject in national public school-systems throughout the world. It shows how this analysis runs counter to common explanations and assumptions about the spread of English in the latter half of the 20th century. In contrast to the common superficial approaches to the politics of English, this article contends that language politics should be central to current debates of global capitalism which becomes increasingly crucial in the wake of the resurgence of nationalism and shifting terrain of neoliberalism.