Review Why English? Confronting the Hydra (a review)

original work by PAULINE BUNCE, ROBERT PHILLIPSON, VAUGHAN RAPATAHANA and RUANNI TUPAS (EDS.) reviewed by ROBERT WILLIAMS

The position of English as the language of globalisation, as the language of choice for international business and as the enabling tool for those who seek better employment and higher wages is considered common knowledge. At a time when the merits of globalisation are being questioned, this volume presents a wide-ranging and thought-provoking set of articles questioning the received wisdom of such widespread acceptance of the merits of English and reasons for choosing to embrace English in the first place. Describing the English language as a Hydra1, the book continues the metaphor and explores various areas where the incursion of English is considered to be at best problematic and at worst harmful. The editors set out the position of the book from the outset and those familiar with the writings of Phillipson et al will not be surprised to see that the book presents a view of the use to which English is put as being, if no longer colonial or imperialist, then at least neo-colonial.

More articles in this issue: