Linguistic Imperialism: Overview and Directions for Future Research

Linguistic Imperialism: Overview and Directions for Future Research

This paper examines research on linguistic imperialism that has been conducted so far. I introduce two research trends: (1) macro level research and (2) micro level research. The former has dealt with the issues of changes of language tradition and the implications of the changes in broad contexts such as societies and nations. On the other hand, the latter has focused on individuals' experiences and struggles in communities in which power relations that linguistic imperialism forces are activated. On the basis of the gaps and problems in studies concerning linguistic imperialism, I suggest four directions that future research should consider. First, future research should be conducted focusing more on the local context in each research setting. Second, researchers need to explore linguistic imperialism in the Periphery. Third, I maintain that researchers should reconsider SLA assumptions which have reinforced linguistic imperialism in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Lastly, I discuss the issue of English as an International Language (EIL), which is expected to reduce or minimize linguistic imperialism.