English Linguistic Imperialism and Privileges Available to White Native-English Speakers:

An Exploration of Privilege and Globalization

- An Autoethnography

Warren Griffiths
100388318
EDUC 5005G
Social and Cultural Context of Education
Professor: Dr. A. Eamer
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
March 22, 2015

Introduction

In the last 250 years, the English has progressed from a mostly regional language of 13 million
speakers to the lingua franca of the 21st-century globalized world (Belich, 2009). According to
ethnologue.com (2014), English is the mother tongue of 335 million people, the third most
widely spoken first language, far behind the 1.2 billion speakers of Chinese dialects. So, while
English is not the first language of a vast majority of our worlds citizens, it has, through the
process of what Warschauer (2000) states as 'global capitalist informationalism', resulted in its
further spread as the international language:

This change will call into question basic notions of language, culture, context, and
the relationship between ESL and EFL. Second, economic and employment
trends will change the way English is used. Increasingly, nonnative speakers will
need to use the language daily for presentation of complex ideas, international
collaboration and negotiation, and location and critical interpretation of rapidly
changing information. Finally, new information technologies will transform
notions of literacy, making online navigation and research, interpretation and
authoring of hypermedia, and synchronous and asynchronous on-line
communication critical skills for learners of English (p. 511).

The onslaught of Western pop culture and the rise of globalization since the 1970s have pushed
English as the world language of business and given credence to the concept of linguistic

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imperialism (p. 512-513). Imperialism, by definition, is the construct of the monopolization of
capitalism, where colonies are ruled from an imperial centre. Anglocentricism is defined by
freedictionary.com (2015) as the tendency to evaluate other groups according to the values and
standards of one's own ethnic group, especially with the conviction that one's own ethnic group
is superior to the other groups. If English is a linguistic imperial force, has my own Anglo
ethnic background benefited me?

Affordances of My White Privilege

For most of my life, I had no concept that being a white, native English-speaking male had
inherent advantages. Not until my thirties did I start to unpack what this meant and how I have,
and continue to, benefit from this. In fact, when I was first told I suffered from white privilege,
my response was dismay and disagreement. As McIntosh (1989) states in White privilege:
unpacking the invisible knapsack , this sort of unconscious oppressiveness is typical, and my
sense of white culture afforded me license to be ignorant, oblivious, arrogant, and
destructive (p. 3). Raised to recognize and fight racism as something that puts others as a
disadvantage did not show me that being a white, native English-speaking male has offered me
unseen advantages. In fact, my very being is an invisible package of unearned assets that I can
count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious (p. 1). In
quoting her colleague Elizabeth Nimmich, McIntosh states that "whites are taught to think of
their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average and also ideal, so that when we work to
benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow them to be more like us (p. 1). In the push

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for a global economy, with English as the lingua franca, them is anyone not already benefitting
from the privilege of native English status in the globalized world.

My Journey
South Korea, since the big modernization push of the 1960s, has pursued English literacy as a
key component to success in the new world economy. Kyoon (2014) argues that globalization as
homogenization and standardization is real and that, even if it is US-initiated, accommodation
to this phenomenon is a minimum survival skill (p. 9). Further to this, he argues that ethnic
languages will die out as the power and prestige of English continue to prop up globalization.
Therefore, the South Korean government should take the initiative to adopt English as a coofficial language and, in the long run, establish English as the one and only official language of
South Korea (p.7). One could see this process in place observing the proliferation of
government-sponsored and privately-run language institutes in every corner of the country. In
fact, if one were to peruse the job offerings on the popular Daves ESL Cafe website (http://
www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/), there would be job opportunities for native English speakers, not
only in the metropolitan cities like Seoul, but in most provincial towns. For such schools to
operate on the scale seen in Korea, feeds the notion that English proficiency directly leads to the
welcome trappings of 'native-English privilege' (p.9).

Korea is where, in 1999, I took advantage of my linguistic status for my own personal gain. After
meeting my soon-to-be wife, adventure was something we both wanted, but as we came from
modest financial backgrounds, we would have to work if we wanted to travel. Korea, with its

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seemingly endless opportunities for native-English speakers (being trained in teaching additional
languages most certainly optional) seemed like a sure bet to jumpstart our lives as international
teachers and travelers. The path to employment was fairly straightforward. Once we had decided
where we wanted to teach (and being go-getters in their mid-twenties, Seoul was our destination
of choice), we applied to a few private language schools and public universities. The response
was fairly immediate and we secured employment based on some fairly loose criteria. First, we
needed to have an undergraduate degree in any discipline (English preferred, but not mandatory)
and we needed to provide colour photographs. At the time, the photographic requirement didn't
strike me as odd. After all, I was still oblivious to white privilege, or that my white-ness was a
determining factor in securing employment. Even if I was aware I would only be deemed fit for
employment based on some arbitrary physical attribute that had nothing to do with teaching
ability, Im not sure I would have cared. At the time, I had no idea I would be an active
participant in the disenfranchisement of others.

Perhaps this unspoken desire to have white native-English speakers over those of colour made
sense to those wanting to fast track their way to the top of the globalization heap. As stated by
McIntosh (1989), national heritage, language and, therefore, western civilization, are seen as a
product of the work of white (predominantly male) Anglophones (p.2). So, is preference for paleskinned educators to teach English based on the belief that to truly understand western culture,
one cannot be of colour, cannot be a non-native speaker and, most troublesome, not Korean? Let
me attempt to unpack this while discussing the following experience.

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During my first year of teaching at Kyung Hee University, the school was to unveil the new
Grand Peace Palace. Reminiscent of medieval Gothic architecture, this building was a source of
pride for the school (and I was told, the whole city of Seoul itself). Taking upwards of twenty
years to build, its unveiling was to be televised on national TV. This event would open my eyes
to the reality that being a tall white male worked to my advantage. The unveiling was to be led
by a reporter from one of the national television stations and a native English speaker, reading a
translation of the unveiling speech. Approached to do so, I was chosen based on the criteria that I
was white, male and, according to my supervisor, the best looking member of the foreign staff.
Not only did I secure employment largely based on my skin colour and first-language status, I
was continually benefitting from my sex, height and my supposed physical attractiveness in
comparison with my colleagues. Perhaps, as the school was unveiling its masterpiece steeped
in historical European architecture, the desire for the most European-looking person to represent
the school, only made sense to administrators.

My Contribution to English Linguistic Imperialism

In her TED Talk, Dont Insist on English (2010), long-time EFL educator Patricia Ryan offers us
a sobering thought: A language dies every 14 days. Now, at the same time, English is the
undisputed global language. Could there be a connection? Warschauer (2000) stipulates that
"the spread of English can also be one of many factors contributing to the tragic loss of
indigenous languages around the world (p. 516). The spread of English as the lingua franca of
the globalized planet, or as Warschauer labels, informationalism, has the following effects:

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(1) globalization will result in the further spread of English as an international
language and a shift of authority to nonnative speakers and dialects. This change will
call into question basic notions of language, culture, context, and the relationship
between ESL and EFL; (2) economic and employment trends will change the way
English is used. Increasingly, nonnative speakers will need to use the language daily
for presentation of complex ideas, international collaboration and negotiation, and
location and critical interpretation of rapidly changing information; and (3) new
information technologies will transform notions of literacy, making online navigation
and research, interpretation and authoring of hypermedia, and synchronous and
asynchronous on-line communication critical skills for learners of English (p.511).

Through the process of informationalism, the spread of English privileges certain groups
(including native speakers and non-native elites who have the opportunity to master it) and may
harm others who have less opportunity to learn it (p. 516). In Korea, those who master English
are offered the most lucrative positions in government, business, and the medical fields (Nunan,
p.600). In fact, without proof of proficiency through standardized testing, many jobs that may be
considered menial, low-paying careers in the west are out of reach for many Koreans. The fear of
being forced into obscurity, based solely on weak English literacy, sees children forced into
rigorous language institutes before the commencement and then again after the completion of
regular school hours. A Korean child to spend 12 hours a day in some form of training program
is not uncommon (p.601).

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By my second year in Korea, the system of English language imperialism became evident of
what it truly was. The acquisition of English was more than a nice to have, it was a need to
have, even muting concerns of English language acquisition on national identity (Crystal,
2000). I was not here as the benevolent white saviour coming to save the native population from
their own ignorance. I was part of a system that was unbalanced and downright cruel. In fact, I
was benefiting from the misery of others.

Part of my second-year assignment at Inha University was to help English majors with essay
writing skills. This particular group of students, studying English full-time generally to become
English instructors themselves, caused me many sleepless nights. Though advanced in their
English language skills, most were destined for failure. Assessment policies at Inha University
insisted on only a certain percentage of students be letter-graded with As, and Bs, and Cs. Even
though I had a class full of bright, potentially successful, teacher candidates, I was forced by
policy to unfairly bell-curve them. There was nothing I could do about this practice, but implore
these students to take action with the school administration. While they were well aware of this
unjust bell curve, they were also resigned to the fact that it was the way things are, and nothing
would change. Some were destined for the best jobs and others were not, even though, through
my observation, their skills were more-or-less on par. This assessment practice directly worked
against government policies put in place to encourage and promote English teaching proficiency
for Korean educators (Nunan, p.600).

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Compounding assessment issues, Hunan (2003) states that curricula, teaching methods, and
materials should meet the needs of the learners of different ages and at different stages. In reality,
adequate and appropriate training is a major problem in all countries surveyed (p.609). So, in
retrospect, what business did I really have teaching pre-service educators? Arguably, investment
would be better spent on programs to enhance the proficiency and professional skills of local
teachers and not importing ill-trained native language speakers (p.608).

I no longer viewed myself just as a Western white male who happened to be a native English
speaker passing on a valuable skill. My decisions would have immediate and, perhaps, long-term
effects on the lives of students, many of whom had been through a lifetime of grinding scholastic
rigour. I was no longer comfortable with my part in the linguistic imperial system, and after two
years, I returned to Canada.

Final Thoughts
Over the years, I have had time to reflect on my first teaching experience. Quite aware that being
tall, white, male, and a native English speaker offered experiences that one would not normally
experience in Canada. I have yet to be offered to unveil a facility based on my outward
appearance compared with my colleagues, and I am sure our laws against workplace
discrimination will prevent that from happening. I was privileged and to this day could pick up
for another overseas teaching assignment with relative ease. Perhaps this open door needs
analyzing. As McIntosh states, will we get truly distressed, even outraged, about unearned race
advantage and conferred dominance, and, if so, what will we do to lessen them (p. 4). The bell

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curve system at Inha University opened my eyes to the injustices of English lingual imperialism,
but I have used this to my advantage more than once since my time in Korea. When times get
tough financially, or I just want to shake things up, I have fallen back on overseas teaching. It
has benefitted me personally, culturally, and financially even though I have willingly
disenfranchised others. But perhaps that is the core of privilege. While I want others to succeed,
would I lessen my own entitlements? I would like to think I would, I am not fully convinced this
would be the case.

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References

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Crystal, D. (2000). Language death. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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Fig. 1. Grand Peace Palace, [photograph]. Retrieved March 10, 2015 from Wikimedia Commons:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/
Kyung_Hee_Univ._Grand_Auditorium.JPG.
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