1st Edition

Language Textbooks in the era of Neoliberalism

By Pau Bori Copyright 2018
204 Pages
by Routledge

204 Pages
by Routledge

204 Pages
by Routledge

This book examines how neoliberalism finds expression in foreign language textbooks. Moving beyond the usual focus on English, Pau Bori explores the impact of neoliberal ideology on Catalan textbooks. By comparing Catalan textbooks to English textbooks, this book interrogates the similarities and differences between a minor and a global language in the age of neoliberalism. Drawing on insights... Read more

Contents





Chapter 1, Introduction





Chapter 2, A Short History of Foreign Language Education in Europe





Chapter 3, Critical Research on Language Textbooks





Chapter 4, Analyzing Textbooks from a Political Economy Perspective





Chapter 5, The Catalan Context





Chapter 6, Social Class in Textbooks





Chapter 7, The World of Work: Constructing an Entrepreneurial Identity





Chapter 8, The World of Housing: Creating a Neoliberal Fairytale





Chapter 9, Conclusions





References





Index

Biography

Pau Bori is Lecturer in Catalan Studies at the University of Belgrade. He is interested in language education and language teaching materials, examining both from a political economy perspective. He has published papers in various journals and contributed chapters to books of collected articles.

This is a sobering book to read. One of Bori’s aims is ‘to awaken

awareness among the educational and academic communities about the

necessity to look critically at textbooks from a political and economic

perspective’ (p. 162). The book has a lot to say to materials developers, to

make us question what we are portraying and the possible consequences.

 

- Kathleen Graves, ELT Journal (Volume 73/3 July 2019)