In the Face of Neoliberal Adversity: Engaging Language Education Policy and Practices

Recent engaged approaches to language policy and practices (Davis 2014) suggest the urgent need for “on the ground” analyses of how global forces, such as neoliberalism, can and do impact local human welfare. An engaged approach further argues for moving away from simply reporting findings towards portraying dialogic processes that are always in a state of evolving and shifting meanings through growing awareness of changing local, national, and global conditions. We more specifically describe here engaged language education policy making that draws teachers, students, parents, and communities into dialogic exploration of ineffective and marginalizing language policies and practices. This approach promotes counterpublic discourses that challenge dominant neoliberal ideologies while supporting practices that meet local language, education, economic, and human welfare needs. Engaged processes effectively suggest local determination of schooling that recognizes language/identity fluidity and multiplicity while upholding the agency of all participants