Linguistic imperialism in english language teaching in Brazil: a qualitative metasynthesys

Abstract

The English language occupies an unparalleled position in human history, distinguished by its unprecedented scope, reach, and influence. Its global diffusion is so extensive and self-evident that it may seem almost redundant to remark it upon. Nonetheless, we are compelled to acknowledge the magnitude of its significance in the contemporary world. One might assume that this phenomenon is merely the historical outcome of colonization and migration, or an organic evolution of a global system that has naturally integrated into society. However, the truth is that the world both depends on and is driven by this language, and global citizens are compelled to acquire at least a basic understanding of it in order to prosper. The hegemony of English and its dominance over other languages result from a combination of historical, colonial, economic, and political forces led primarily by Anglophone nations, such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom. This context gives rise to the notion of Linguistic Imperialism (Phillipson, 1992; Pennycook, 1998; Rajagopalan, 2003, 2005), which refers to the imposition of one language upon speakers of others, supported by structures and ideologies that sustain unequal power relations which may contribute to the erosion of local cultures and produce significant pedagogical implications for English Language Teaching. Therefore, this study, which belongs to the research line “Language, Education and Work” from the Post-Graduation Program in Languages (PPGL), of the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Pato Branco campus – Brazil, within the research field “ Language, Culture and Society”, aims to present a comprehensive examination of Brazilian studies published between 2005 and 2025 that discuss Linguistic Imperialism and its pedagogical implications within English Language Teaching. In order to do that, the corpus which composes this research was collected through Scielo, Google Scholar, and CAPES databases, using the descriptors “Linguistic Imperialism” and its Portuguese correlate, “Imperialismo Linguístico” . A total of 22 studies (18 articles, 2 master’s theses, 1 doctoral dissertation, and 1 undergraduate final paper) were retrieved and subcategorized according their research approach: 5 qualitative-interpretivist empirical studies, 5 document-analysis studies, and 12 Theoretical-Bibliographic ones. A systematic literature review and a qualitative metasynthesis (Sarninghausen, 2011) were conducted, through which several conclusions could be drawn. The findings indicate that: a) the interest in the topic among Brazilian researchers increased between 2020 and 2023; b) most studies align the framework of Linguistic Imperialism within the theoretical perspectives of Phillipson (1992), Rajagopalan (2003, 2005), and Pennycook (1994); c) the majority of empirical studies were conducted with teachers as participants, underscoring the crucial role of English Language Teaching professionals as active agents in confronting and reflecting upon the phenomenon of Linguistic Imperialism ; d) the studies mention the underlying presence of Linguistic Imperialism structures in textbooks, official documents, educational practices, and also point towards ideological, cultural, and structural occurrences of this issue within peripheral countries.