Neoliberal ideology, discursive paradox and communicative language teaching

Ria Angelo

doi:10.1177/1478210320971539

Abstract

This paper deals with the relationship between neoliberalism and communicative language teaching in language-in-education policy. Neoliberalism, or the deregulation of state based on meritocracy, or equal competition, gives rise to paradoxical discourses. On the one hand, sociolinguistic superdiversity shows us the unprecedented mixing and switching of languages by transnational migrants. On the other, language commodification requires us to use standard or monolingual language forms to access high-paying jobs in the global market. Parallel discourses in communicative language teaching pedagogy that distinguish between weak and strong forms also give rise to monolingual and multilingual language practices, respectively. This paper examines how language commodification and sociolinguistic superdiversity relate to the method-related problem of identity, a tension in the literature between the monolingual language practices of weak communicative language teaching, and post-structuralist language learner identities that are delineated by language. By drawing discursive and epistemic links between language commodification and sociolinguistic superdiversity and weak and strong communicative language teaching, I argue that language commodification emerges as a hegemonic discourse in weak communicative language teaching policy precepts, responsible for the method-related problem of identity. I attribute the discursive hegemony to a positivist epistemic framework that imposes preconceived language structures and identities on post-structuralist language learners in second and foreign language learning through monolingualism. This paper discusses important implications of sociolinguistic superdiversity as a counter-hegemonic discourse in superdiverse communicative language teaching contexts, as well as directions for future research.

Highlights

Neoliberalism, or the deregulation of state based on meritocracy, or equal competition, has given rise to paradoxical discourses
My main claim is that the discourse of language commodification (LC) emerges as a hegemonic discourse in the form of weak communicative language teaching (CLT) policy precepts, while the discourse of sociolinguistic superdiversity (SSD) can serve as a counter-hegemony in these contexts
The multilingual turn in this context can be understood as a rejection of positivist epistemics and monolingual discourses in L2 learning that has, though turned cognitivism on its head – by epistemically prioritizing the social world over the cognitive (See Block, 2003; Lantolf and Thorne, 2006)– has neglected to uncover how political ideology manifests in weak CLT policy precepts that give rise to method-related problem of identity (MRPI)

Summary

Introduction

Neoliberalism, or the deregulation of state based on meritocracy, or equal competition, has given rise to paradoxical discourses. I wish to draw explicit links between the discursive and epistemic assumptions LC and SSD and weak and strong CLT – in order to assess whether and to what extent neoliberal ideology manifests in LIE policy. My main claim is that the discourse of LC emerges as a hegemonic discourse in the form of weak CLT policy precepts, while the discourse of SSD can serve as a counter-hegemony in these contexts.

Results

Conclusion