English as an International Language of Prestige: Conflicting Cultural Perspectives and Shifting Ethnolinguistic Loyalties

Abstract

A wide range of conflicting cultural perspectives associated with language acquisition and ethnolinguistic loyalties exists in Mexico wherever English is taught and spoken. The interplay of socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic tensions produce positive and negative attitudes toward learning English. Students confront an array of sociolinguistic factors associated with dominant and subordinate languages. The following study compared perceptions of students and teachers in two contrasting settings, urban and rural.