Desiring English in Southwestern Nicaragua

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study intended to deepen understandings of learners’ desires for English, the images they associate with the English language, and what these might suggest for an English curriculum. To do so, the study investigated the perspectives of southwestern Nicaraguan residents about the growing presence of English and English speakers, primarily tourists, drawn to the local beaches. Fifteen residents (English learners, their family members, and English teachers) from two tourism destination Nicaraguan departments – Rivas and Carazo – were interviewed regarding their language desires for English, including the images that they held in their minds as they yearned for English. Five images emerged: An Open Door, Ambassadors, A Family Speaking English, International Friendships, and The Beach. Each image speaks to a cluster of longings for what the participants dreamed their individual and communal lives would be if English could be mastered, formed within an economic, historic, and social context. Some of the images were connected to a belief that institutions would meet the participants’ needs, while others provided a source of agency when needs were not likely to be met. The participants experienced language desire for English as a pathway to assist others and to improve their lives. The authors hold that these language desires are an invisible current shaping experiences and responses to curriculum and should inform curricular decisions.