Unraveling Epistemological Supremacy in the Teaching of English: A Decolonial Stance

Abstract

The teaching of English in a world replete with inequalities requires sensitivity to social, cultural, political, and pedagogical dimensions. Through the lenses of critical applied linguistics and decolonial thinking, this conceptual paper discusses how English language education can be instrumental in defying the status quo. It particularly aims to unveil the hegemony of English language teaching and present fundamental ideas about how it perpetuates unequal power structures in society. This article argues that English language teaching is not apolitical, in that it constitutes an epistemological supremacy adhering to a long-standing coloniality of power that constructs asymmetrical power hierarchies and brings about unjust phenomena across society. Finally, it points to a decolonial future for English language teaching that challenges, problematizes, and dismantles uneven power relations.