Discourses of 'Crazy English': Reconciling the Tensions between the Nation-State and Neoliberal Agenda
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| Title: | Discourses of 'Crazy English': Reconciling the Tensions between the Nation-State and Neoliberal Agenda |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | M. Obaidul Hamid, Shuqin Luo |
| Source: | English Teaching: Practice and Critique. 2016 15(2):285-308. |
| Availability: | Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 24 |
| Publication Date: | 2016 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, English, Language Usage, Entrepreneurship, Nationalism, Commercialization, English (Second Language), Language Attitudes, Sociolinguistics, Asian Culture, Non Western Civilization |
| Geographic Terms: | China |
| DOI: | 10.1108/ETPC-10-2015-0084 |
| ISSN: | 1175-8708 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: While education policymakers in Asian polities find it difficult to resist the English language which has attained a new status in "late capitalism", prevailing policy-level perceptions also suggest that a ruthless adoption of English may undermine national languages, identities and cultures. Despite the heightened commercialisation of English as a global language this policy dilemma raises some critical questions. For example, how can individual entrepreneurs also acting as "language policy actors" effectively promote for-profit English teaching ventures without being accused of compromising national interests, identities and traditions? This article makes a modest attempt towards addressing these questions by conducting a critical analysis of Li Yang's English teaching venture called "Crazy English" in China and its underlying discourses. Design/methodology/approach: From a sample of English teaching resources available on its official website, this paper identifies and discusses four major discourses on the relationship between English and individual entrepreneurship in English on the one hand and Chinese and China's national values and interests on the other. Findings: This paper argues that collectively these discourses represent a model of "edu-business" in English language teaching that reconciles the dichotomies between nationalism and post-nationalism, individualism and collectivism and public and private interests in a neoliberal world. Originality/value: With the onset of globalisation and its impact on all aspects of life including the economy, education and communication, there have been on-going debates on the emerging tensions between the nation-state and the forces of trans/post-nationalism, the latter being underpinned by neo-liberalism. These tensions have also been observed in the fields of English and English language education. While research has examined how macro-level policymakers respond to globalisation through their English language policies, there has been limited work on how individual language policy actors engaged in the commercialisation of English reconcile the apparently irreconcilable forces of nationalism and post-nationalism. The contribution of the present article lies in illustrating a case that seeks to reconcile these forces through discourses and discursive strategies. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1462140 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1462140 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Discourses of 'Crazy English': Reconciling the Tensions between the Nation-State and Neoliberal Agenda – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22M%2E+Obaidul+Hamid%22">M. Obaidul Hamid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shuqin+Luo%22">Shuqin Luo</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22English+Teaching%3A+Practice+and+Critique%22"><i>English Teaching: Practice and Critique</i></searchLink>. 2016 15(2):285-308. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 24 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2016 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English%22">English</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Usage%22">Language Usage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Entrepreneurship%22">Entrepreneurship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nationalism%22">Nationalism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Commercialization%22">Commercialization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+%28Second+Language%29%22">English (Second Language)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Attitudes%22">Language Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sociolinguistics%22">Sociolinguistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asian+Culture%22">Asian Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Non+Western+Civilization%22">Non Western Civilization</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1108/ETPC-10-2015-0084 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1175-8708 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Purpose: While education policymakers in Asian polities find it difficult to resist the English language which has attained a new status in "late capitalism", prevailing policy-level perceptions also suggest that a ruthless adoption of English may undermine national languages, identities and cultures. Despite the heightened commercialisation of English as a global language this policy dilemma raises some critical questions. For example, how can individual entrepreneurs also acting as "language policy actors" effectively promote for-profit English teaching ventures without being accused of compromising national interests, identities and traditions? This article makes a modest attempt towards addressing these questions by conducting a critical analysis of Li Yang's English teaching venture called "Crazy English" in China and its underlying discourses. Design/methodology/approach: From a sample of English teaching resources available on its official website, this paper identifies and discusses four major discourses on the relationship between English and individual entrepreneurship in English on the one hand and Chinese and China's national values and interests on the other. Findings: This paper argues that collectively these discourses represent a model of "edu-business" in English language teaching that reconciles the dichotomies between nationalism and post-nationalism, individualism and collectivism and public and private interests in a neoliberal world. Originality/value: With the onset of globalisation and its impact on all aspects of life including the economy, education and communication, there have been on-going debates on the emerging tensions between the nation-state and the forces of trans/post-nationalism, the latter being underpinned by neo-liberalism. These tensions have also been observed in the fields of English and English language education. While research has examined how macro-level policymakers respond to globalisation through their English language policies, there has been limited work on how individual language policy actors engaged in the commercialisation of English reconcile the apparently irreconcilable forces of nationalism and post-nationalism. The contribution of the present article lies in illustrating a case that seeks to reconcile these forces through discourses and discursive strategies. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1462140 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1462140 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1108/ETPC-10-2015-0084 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 24 StartPage: 285 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: English Type: general – SubjectFull: Language Usage Type: general – SubjectFull: Entrepreneurship Type: general – SubjectFull: Nationalism Type: general – SubjectFull: Commercialization Type: general – SubjectFull: English (Second Language) Type: general – SubjectFull: Language Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Sociolinguistics Type: general – SubjectFull: Asian Culture Type: general – SubjectFull: Non Western Civilization Type: general – SubjectFull: China Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Discourses of 'Crazy English': Reconciling the Tensions between the Nation-State and Neoliberal Agenda Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: M. Obaidul Hamid – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shuqin Luo IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Type: published Y: 2016 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1175-8708 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 15 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: English Teaching: Practice and Critique Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
