The Hegemony of English (Series in Critical Narrative) (Paperback)

by Donaldo Macedo (Author), Panayota Gounari (Author), Bessie Dendrinos (Author) "THE UNITED STATES HAS HAD NO OVERT OFFICIAL LANGUAGE POLICY regulated by legal and constitutional declaration, yet it is the envy of many nations that..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, European Union, Mott Haven (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"[P]erhaps the best analysis of the English-only movement in the U.S. and the ramifications worldwide of language policies favouring English...It displays a dazzling grasp of the many meanings of language and the politics that underlie language policy and educational discourse." Stanley Aronowitz, City University of New York; "In the present political climate, racism and classism often hide behind seemingly technical issues about English in the modern world. The Hegemony of English courageously unmasks these deceptions and points the way to a more humane and sane way to discuss language in our global world." James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin, Madison"

Product Description
The Hegemony of English succinctly exposes how the neoliberal ideology of globalization promotes dominating language policies. In the United States and Europe these policies lead to linguistic and cultural discrimination while, worldwide, they aim to stamp out a greater use and participation of national and subordinate languages in world commerce and in international organizations such as the European Union. Democracy calls for broad, multi-ethnic participation, and the authors point us toward more effective approaches in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Paradigm Publishers (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594510016
• ISBN-13: 978-1594510014
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #970,274 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Illuminating and Critical , April 29, 2007

By	William Pulgarin "Neighborhood Critic" (Medellin, Colombia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In one of Gingrich's most recent speeches, he "equated bilingual education...with the `language of living in the ghetto.'" While this argument is fed in snippets to the general public, the larger implications of such absurd rhetoric goes largely unquestioned. In "The Hegemony of English," the authors probe into some of the deeper and more poignant issues regarding the debate over bilingualism. They point to the fact that some of our policies go against the avalanche of research that supports bilingualism. If the education of our children is the most important issue, then why are we not listening to the educational research? Why are we still striving to create a monolingual society despite the fact that there are many positive aspects to being bilingual? Check out Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire (Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23) for more information regarding bilingual education.

Not the best reading in the world, but definitely something that educators should be knowledgeable about. It is short book with a deep and important message.