English language and ideological transmission: Policy responses and implementation.

The aim of this study was to examine - within the context of the English Language and ideological transmission- the fact that the British Educational service contains mainly monolingual, English-speaking teachers, academics, advisers, policy-makers and other professionals whereas the composition of the service is culturally and linguistically diverse. What therefore are the CRITERIA used in formulating and implementing policies for mainstream curriculum for language development and education and how relevant are these for such a diverse community? The process of transmission is described in its broad sense - through various historical and current poicy documents and significantly through a literature review - suggesting that 'every thing, including silence and ommission, speaks' but that English language is a crucial vehicle of transmission in Britain as it is the defining and controlling force through its exclusive use in all the structures which include the education system. As such it 'informs' and 'creates particular realities' based on its historically rooted, inherent ideological messages regarding 'race' with its strongly overdetermined negative connotations of black people and assertions of superiority of white people and their languages. it is, argued that this ideological transmission provides a distorted overview of the 'realities' and creates 'heirarchies' which in turn underpin and premise policy formulations on language and educational issues in schools through which the black people are constantly marginalised and left on the periphery of the mainstream education service. Additionally, the inherent ideological messages in the English language direct and establish the language of discourse on black people and their languages thus reproducing the historically defined imbalanced power relationships between black and white people. The effects of this distorted overview on monolingual English teachers and educationalists is explored through two case studies of two separate secondary schools. The case studies showed the fragmentation and narrowness with which languge issues of the black and white multilingual British people in British schools are considered. Evidence is cited from policy documents, class observations and interviews conducted with teachers and pupils to show the contradictions and conflicts that are created - resulting in frustration and professional crisis for specially the language teachers in British schools. The study concludes that any significant change in the treatment of black people is likely only through intervention with the criteria which are used to formulate policies but are ideologically informed and which end up reproducing the distorted power relationship between black and white people. Without such intervention it is argued, the Race Relations Legislation, 1976; funding from section 11 of the Local Government Act, 1966; or the proliferation of Equal Opportunities Policies (on which provision and services for black people is argued) will have no educational relevance and will continue to remain an exercise in race relations with the unattainable 'assimilation' and control of black people as its target