Pennycook, Alastair 1957-
English and the Discourses of Colonialism / Alastair Pennycock. - 1st ed. - New York : Routledge, 1998. - xii, 239 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. - The Politics of Language .
Available in print and electronic formats.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-231) and index.
"English and the Discourses of Colonialism opens with the British departure from Hong Kong marking the end of British colonialism. Yet Alastair Pennycook argues that this dramatic exit masks the crucial issue that the traces left by colonialism run deep. This challenging and provocative book looks particularly at English, English language teaching, and colonialism. It reveals how the practice of colonialism permeated the cultures and discourses of both the colonial and colonized nations, the effects of which are still evident today. Pennycook explores the extent to which English is, as commonly assumed, a language of neutrality and global communication, and to what extent it is, by contrast, a language laden with meanings and still weighed down with colonial discourses that have come to adhere to it. Travel writing, newspaper articles and popular books on English, are all referred to, as well as personal experiences and interviews with learners of English in India, Malaysia, China and Australia. Pennycook concludes by appealing to postcolonial writing, to create a politics of opposition and dislodge the discourses of colonialism from English." (Publisher's Website) CONTENTS: 1. English and the cultural constructs of colonialism
Why English?
Why colonialism?
English language teaching and colonialism
Personal histories, colonialism and English
Discourse, history and the present
Outline 2. The cultural constructs of colonialism
Colonialism, imperialism and culture
Colonial dichotomies
Conclusion 3. Anglicism, Orientalism and colonial language policy
Anglicism and Orientalism
Towards a policy of pragmatic vernacularism
Conclusion 4. Hong Kong: Opium, riots, English and Chinese
Playing safe: language policy in Malaya
Hong Kong: opium, riots and myths
Discourses of Hong Kong education
Conclusions: language policies and colonial legacies 5. Images of the Self: our marvellous tongue
Our marvellous tongue
Teaching our marvellous tongue to speakers of other languages 6. Images of the Other: China and cultural fixity
Orientalist discourses
Conclusion: ELT and cultural fixity 7. English, continuity and counterdiscourse
Colonial continuities
Available discourses and counterdiscourses
Remaking English in Australia Notes Bibliography Index
9780415178488 (pbk) 0415178487 (pbk)
98011146
English language--Political aspects--Commonwealth countries.
English language--Political aspects--Foreign countries.
English language--Great Britain--Colonies.
English language--Discourse analysis.
Communication, International.
Decolonization--Terminology.
Imperialism--Terminology.
Great Britain--Colonies--Languages.
PE2751 / .P47 1998
English and the Discourses of Colonialism / Alastair Pennycock. - 1st ed. - New York : Routledge, 1998. - xii, 239 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. - The Politics of Language .
Available in print and electronic formats.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-231) and index.
"English and the Discourses of Colonialism opens with the British departure from Hong Kong marking the end of British colonialism. Yet Alastair Pennycook argues that this dramatic exit masks the crucial issue that the traces left by colonialism run deep. This challenging and provocative book looks particularly at English, English language teaching, and colonialism. It reveals how the practice of colonialism permeated the cultures and discourses of both the colonial and colonized nations, the effects of which are still evident today. Pennycook explores the extent to which English is, as commonly assumed, a language of neutrality and global communication, and to what extent it is, by contrast, a language laden with meanings and still weighed down with colonial discourses that have come to adhere to it. Travel writing, newspaper articles and popular books on English, are all referred to, as well as personal experiences and interviews with learners of English in India, Malaysia, China and Australia. Pennycook concludes by appealing to postcolonial writing, to create a politics of opposition and dislodge the discourses of colonialism from English." (Publisher's Website) CONTENTS: 1. English and the cultural constructs of colonialism
Why English?
Why colonialism?
English language teaching and colonialism
Personal histories, colonialism and English
Discourse, history and the present
Outline 2. The cultural constructs of colonialism
Colonialism, imperialism and culture
Colonial dichotomies
Conclusion 3. Anglicism, Orientalism and colonial language policy
Anglicism and Orientalism
Towards a policy of pragmatic vernacularism
Conclusion 4. Hong Kong: Opium, riots, English and Chinese
Playing safe: language policy in Malaya
Hong Kong: opium, riots and myths
Discourses of Hong Kong education
Conclusions: language policies and colonial legacies 5. Images of the Self: our marvellous tongue
Our marvellous tongue
Teaching our marvellous tongue to speakers of other languages 6. Images of the Other: China and cultural fixity
Orientalist discourses
Conclusion: ELT and cultural fixity 7. English, continuity and counterdiscourse
Colonial continuities
Available discourses and counterdiscourses
Remaking English in Australia Notes Bibliography Index
9780415178488 (pbk) 0415178487 (pbk)
98011146
English language--Political aspects--Commonwealth countries.
English language--Political aspects--Foreign countries.
English language--Great Britain--Colonies.
English language--Discourse analysis.
Communication, International.
Decolonization--Terminology.
Imperialism--Terminology.
Great Britain--Colonies--Languages.
PE2751 / .P47 1998