How the Global Spread of English can Enrich Rather than Engulf Our Culture and Identity

Abstract

The unprecedented spread of English as a global language in recent decades has often been viewed as a threat to the culture and identity of English learners in the ‘Outer’ and ‘Expanding’ Circles, especially when reinforced by traditional textbooks and materials which are heavily Anglo- centric in their cultural content and outlook, and which aim only at helping learners assimilate ‘native-speaker’ linguistic and cultural norms. Rather than as a threat, however, English should be seen not only as a means for countries to join the global community and compete in the international arena, but a means of making their national identity and culture known to the rest of the world. One implication for language teaching is the need for English textbooks and materials which reflect our own culture and identity (and not just those of native English speakers), and engage our learners in expressing their own culture and identity rather than mimic that of others.