Ideology and Politics in English‐Language Education in Trinidad and Tobago: The Colonial Experience and a Postcolonial Critique

London, Norrel A.

doi:10.1086/378249

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The literature on education reforms in formerly colonized nations draws a connection between colonial and postcolonial education policy reforms (see Bray, 1993;Tam, 1998;London, 2003). We will need to understand the concepts 'colonialism' and 'postcoloniality,' and how they feature in these discussions.…”

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an ideology, colonialism cannot be identified only with economic gain and political power, but is essentially a state of mind in colonizer and colonized alike (see Said, 1993, cited by London, 2003London, 2003). This ideological thinking began when colonizers arrived on the scene and does not end when they go home.…”

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This ideological thinking began when colonizers arrived on the scene and does not end when they go home. In other words, as London (2003) points out, colonization becomes an unfinished business and a footprint (my italics). One theme that moves to the centre-stage whenever discussions of colonialism come to the fore is 'dominance', of the colonized by a colonizer.…”

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Shohat (2000) defines 'postcoloniality' as a new designation for critical discourse that thematizes issues emerging from colonial relationships and their aftermath, covering a long historical span (including the present). London (2003) explains further that postcoloniality is a concern to renarrativize the story of the colonial encounter in a way that gives prominence to issues that have to date been put on the periphery of the education debate as it concerns colonial societies. He points out that the need to examine and understand the complex ways in which the colonial powers brought the colonized under their imperial system, arises because the impact lingers on despite the fact that many nations have attained independence.…”

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is an alternative primary education initiative introduced in seven northern Ghanaian pastoral communities. London (2003) points out that postcolonial frameworks enable us to narrate the story of colonial encounters in a way that gives prominence to many issues that have, to date, been kept on the periphery of the education debate. A postcolonial approach also enables us to view the colonial past as a reservoir of political experiences and practices, and more importantly, as the 'scene of intense discursive and conceptual activity, which is characterized by a profusion of thought and writing about the cultural and political identities of colonized subjects' (London, 2003, p. 291).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of colonial and postcolonial Ghanaian language policies on vernacular use in schools in two northern Ghanaian communities

Mfum-Mensah

2005

Comparative Education

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Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Colonialism Postcolonialism and Language Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The impact of colonial and postcolonial Ghanaian language policies on vernacular use in schools in two northern Ghanaian communities

Mfum-Mensah

2005

Comparative Education

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African Union

Kamwangamalu¹

2012

The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics

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The year 2010 marked a milestone for the majority of African nations, as most of them celebrated the 50th anniversary of political independence and liberation from former Western colonial powers. However, as Fishman (1996, p. 5) remarks, “although the lowering of one flag and the raising of another may indicate the end of colonial status, these acts do not necessarily indicate the end of imperialist privilege in neo‐colonial disguise.” In Africa, imperialist privilege is on display especially through former colonial languages such as English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, for they remain the chief if not exclusive medium through which African nations conduct official business in virtually all the institutions of the state, including the government and administration, the educational system, and the media. In this regard, Popham (1996) notes forcefully that while the engine of colonialism long ago ran out of steam, the momentum of its languages remains formidable, and it is against their tyranny that smaller languages fight to survive. Colonialism, says London (2003), is a state of mind in colonizer and colonized alike. It does not end when the colonists go home. Instead, it remains an unfinished business and a footprint, impacting as it does all aspects of a postcolonial polity's life, including language policy. This entry reviews the language policy statements that the African continent has made, through its institutions such as the African Union, to change the status quo and carve a place for indigenous African languages, especially in the educational system. This is done against the background of the ideologies that have informed language policies in Africa from the colonial era to the present, especially the ideology of development on the one hand, and the ideology of decolonization on the other. It argues that Africa's language policy statements remain symbolic at best, and that their only merit lies in the fact that they have helped to keep the debate on language policy in Africa alive. It argues further that language policy makers need to do more than merely make policy statements if Africa's indigenous languages are to break through and become free from the shackles of neo‐colonialism and former colonial languages. The entry concludes with suggestions as to how the breakthrough can be achieved, drawing on previous work on the role of African languages vis‐à‐vis former colonial languages in the educational system (Kamwangamalu, 1997, 2004).

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African Union

Kamwangamalu¹

2020

The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics

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This entry reviews the language policy statements that the African continent has made, through its institutions such as the African Union, to promote Africa's indigenous languages in the educational system. This is done against the background of the ideologies that have informed language policies in Africa from the colonial era to the present, especially the ideology of development on the one hand, and the ideology of decolonization on the other. It argues that Africa's language policy statements remain symbolic at best, and that their only merit lies in the fact that they have helped to keep the debate on language policy in Africa alive. It argues further that language policy makers need to do more than merely make policy statements if Africa's indigenous languages are to break through and become free from the shackles of neocolonialism and former colonial languages. The entry concludes with suggestions as to how the breakthrough can be achieved, drawing on previous work on the role of African languages vis‐à‐vis former colonial languages in the educational system.

show abstract

Ideology and Politics in English‐Language Education in Trinidad and Tobago: The Colonial Experience and a Postcolonial Critique

Cited by 21 publications

References 9 publications

The impact of colonial and postcolonial Ghanaian language policies on vernacular use in schools in two northern Ghanaian communities

The impact of colonial and postcolonial Ghanaian language policies on vernacular use in schools in two northern Ghanaian communities

African Union

African Union

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