English in the age of globalization: beyond good and evil

Abstract

This article resumes three interpretations for the phenomenon of the bond between globalization and English. First, it recalls the naïve position that sees the worldliness of English as natural and neutral. Second, it presents the critical view deeply marked by the nationalist and anti-imperialist ideology that understands the spread of English as another dimension of USA domination over the world. Finally, the third view is the critical viewpoint of the critical viewpoint that points out the limitations of the anti-imperialist position in the new world order imposed by globalization. However, whatever the interpretation is, no one wants or can wait any longer to learn English. These urges place us face to face with the historic inefficiency of Brazilian public schools to teach foreign languages. Along the years the privilege of efficient teaching has been allocated to private language institutes. Such situation has been turning the competent learning of English among other languages into a cultural asset guaranteed only to the children of wealthy classes in Brazilian society. For the wealthy, on the horizon appears the so called bilingual school. And what is there for the others, for the underprivileged?

Key words: globalization, public education, foreign language teaching/learning.