“More & Earlier”: Neoliberalism and Primary English Education in Mexican Public Schools

Abstract

As global English expands, developing countries feel the pressure that, in order to remain globally competitive, they must increase the number of people with English proficiency. In response, many countries have significantly expanded English instruction in public schools by implementing primary English language teaching (PELT) programs. This is particularly true in countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America, where national Ministries of Education have taken a "more & earlier" approach, integrating English into the public primary curriculum. Children start learning English younger and study the language more during their basic education. The author argues that this language education policy shift toward expanding English in the public education curricula in developing countries is best understood as a shift from past models of elite English bilingualism to policies intended to support the macroacquisition, or general proficiency in English. The rationale for this policy change is framed in terms of the "modernization" and "internationalization" of a country's public education system, and hence should be understood as part of the response to align education curricula and programs with neoliberal policies. The author examines Mexico's recent national English program for public primary schools as a case study in the implementation of neoliberal language policy. Participation in global markets increasingly happens in and through English. As global English expands, developing countries feel the pressure that, in order to become globally competitive, they must increase the number of their citizens who are proficient in English. At the individual level, families equate their children learning English with better job prospects in the future. In response, many countries have significantly expanded English instruction in public schools (Enever & Moon, 2010). This is particularly true in countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America, where national Ministries of Education have taken a "more & earlier" approach (Hamid, 2010), integrating English into the primary school curriculum. The simple logic of these programs is that the earlier children start learning English and the more years they study English, the greater their L2 gains will be. These educational programs, then, are directly connected to expanding economic 41 countries and argue that the status and role of English in Mexico is both enhanced and complicated by the geographical proximity and historical and current cultural ties with the United States, as well as the importance of Spanish as a regional and global language. I make the case that the Mexican program represents a policy shift from past models of elite English bilingualism to policies intended to support macroacquisition, or general proficiency in English. Next, I locate Mexico's adoption of its new public school program as part of a global move towards primary English language teaching (PELT). The PELT phenomenon is clearly reflected in the language education policies of developing countries-seen as "...

Unpacking research and practice in world Englishes and Second Language Acquisition

“…In 2014, an advisory group to the minister of education developed detailed recommendations to carry out the 2013 plan. Efforts to promote English at elementary school in Japan mirror the more and earlier approach to EFL instruction, which pervades not only Asia but also Latin America and elsewhere (Sayer, ). This approach, together with the third trend discussed below, reflects neoliberal ideology which regards English proficiency as indispensable for both individual and national economic success—an issue requiring further discussion later.…”

“…In order to understand research/practice gaps regarding the three language education policies, it is necessary to not only consider language ideology as macro issues but also examine how beliefs about language and language learning/teaching are shaped by broader historical, political, and economic super macro forces. One such force is neoliberalism (Block, Gray, & Holborow, ; Flores, ; Holborow, ; Kubota, ; Park, ; Sayer, ). As mentioned above, neoliberal institutional expectations and practices influence the ways in which many university instructors engage in their scholarly activities.…”

“…Together with the concept of human capital, which underscores the importance of people's knowledge and skills to economic growth in a competitive knowledge economy, English language competence is believed to promise individual economic return. Beliefs about the global status of English and its economic benefit led to language education policies worldwide (Sayer, ). Presenting the descriptions of English at elementary school policies in several countries, Sayer (, p. 50) shows how learning English is linked to the national economic imperative, justified in terms of ‘ employment opportunities, economic development, modernization, internationalization, participation in the global economy and to become an economic global player’ [italics in the original].…”

“…Beliefs about the global status of English and its economic benefit led to language education policies worldwide (Sayer, ). Presenting the descriptions of English at elementary school policies in several countries, Sayer (, p. 50) shows how learning English is linked to the national economic imperative, justified in terms of ‘ employment opportunities, economic development, modernization, internationalization, participation in the global economy and to become an economic global player’ [italics in the original]. Clearly, language education policies are built upon the premise that English is a universal language for global communication and a catalyst for economic benefit (Kubota, ).…”

The hidden curriculum of work in English language education

“…In general, the Mexican education system needs to rapidly improve human capital development" (Hopkins, Ahtaridou, Matthews, & Posner, 2007, p. 4, emphasis added). Reyes Cruz et al (2011) point out that this report was a strong impetus for the early English programme in Mexico, because (1) increasing English instruction is linked to developing human capital, and (2) adopting English programmes demonstrates that active steps are being taken to modernize the education system by bringing it in line with neoliberal economic policies (Sayer, 2015). Mechanisms such as PISA scores become a way for the OECD to apply pressures to governments to adopt neoliberal policies and programmes that promote institutions corporate capitalist interests (cf.…”