Sociocultural awareness of international ELT policies: The case of a US-funded program in Morocco

Abstract

Considering the history of the spread of English around the world, issues of linguistic imperialism and the cultural politics of language education have been discussed for a few decades now (Pennycook, 2017; Phillipson, 2009). Contemporary policies of promoting English by English-speaking countries beyond their borders have also been occasionally examined (Mirhosseini & Babu, 2020; Tupas & Tabiola, 2017). However, the actual implementation of these international policies seems to remain underexplored. Therefore, aiming to investigate one instance of the implementation of such policies of English language teaching, we explored the English Access Microscholarship Program (ACCESS) in the context of Morocco, where the program was designed “for students to gain an appreciation for American culture” (US Department of State’s Evaluation of the ACCESS Program, 2007, p. 2). This qualitative study was guided by two research questions: 1) What were the cultural elements imparted by the ACCESS program? and 2) What were the participants’ reactions to the program’s cultural contents in this context? To understand the experiences of Moroccan stakeholders involved with the program, we conducted interviews with three students, two teachers, and one administrator. Qualitative analysis of the interview data showed various aspects of the American culture embedded in these programs as well as a range of these participants’ perceptions and responses to the possible sociocultural influences of ACCESS. On this basis, we discuss cultural awareness that may be needed for audiences of such programs and for larger groups of English language policy makers, teachers, and learners worldwide.

Speaker

About the Speaker

Seyyed-Abdolhamid Mirhosseini is an Associate Professor at The University of Hong Kong. His research areas include the sociopolitics of language education, qualitative research methodology, and critical studies of discourse in society. His writing has appeared in journals including Applied Linguistics; Critical Inquiry in Language Studies; Language, Identity and Education; Language Teaching, and TESOL Quarterly. His books include Worldwide English Language Education Today: Ideologies, Policies and Practices (Routledge, 2020); Doing Qualitative Research in Language Education (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020); and a forthcoming volume on Critical English Medium Instruction in Higher Education (Cambridge University Press).

Adil Bentahar is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware’s English Language Institute, with a joint appointment with the School of Education. He usually teaches second language reading and English composition as well as teacher education (special) programs benefiting domestic and international teachers. As a faculty member of the MA-TESL program, Dr. Bentahar works with and advises pre- and in-service teachers interested in supporting multilingual learners in K-12 settings and higher education. His research includes L2 reading, EFL teaching in Morocco, and international student experience. Currently, he is investigating the impact of TV viewing and Internet browsing on Moroccan EFL teachers’ reading habits.

Time

10-11 AM (HK Time)

Location

Zoom (Register through the link: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9SvwHd1FhO1E4oS)

Chair

Prof. Lianjiang Jiang