Rolling Out the Red Carpet: A Critique of Neoliberal Motivations Orienting the Promotion of Public Bilingual Schools to Young Learners in Brazil

Abstract

When it comes to being a bilingual child in Brazil, it is not about any form of bilingualism, however, that is valued. Despite its characterisation, English is seen as a commodity, often sold as the sole tool responsible for professional development and financial success, even when considering children. The core argument of this paper is that some Brazilian politicians have done the right thing (i.e., promoting a Foreign Language Education, in this case English or Spanish, to young learners) for the wrong reason (i.e., believing they can promote the English or Spanish Language Education to guarantee the children’s professional success in the future). In order to illustrate this viewpoint, excerpts from two Brazilian politicians are considered, besides excerpts from other social actors. As the analysis unfolds, four questions are addressed: (1) To whose desires is a society of the global South responding to whose desires?; (2) Right thing for the wrong reasons?; (3) Who gets to walk on the red carpet?; and (4) Where does the magic carpet promise to take us?