Neoliberalizing Subjects through Global ELT Programs

• Published in: TESOL quarterly Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 693 - 725
• Main Authors: Shah, Waqar Ali, Pardesi, Hajra Y., Memon, Talha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2024
• ISSN: 0039-8322; 1545-7249
• DOI: 10.1002/tesq.3242

A recent surge in textbooks studies has revealed a closer link with neoliberalism and the way they construct neoliberal subjects. This paper uses Foucauldian governmentality as the conceptual lens to analyze the neoliberal discourses in EFL textbooks used in English Access Microscholarship (EAM)—one of the US‐aided global ELT programs in Pakistan. English language learners' views on course outcomes and textbooks were also examined. The study shows that among others, English as a neoliberal life skill, celebrity culture, consumerism, entrepreneurship, and individual and corporate social responsibility dominate textbooks. It is thus found that textbooks play an important role in neoliberalizing learners. Moreover, English language learners perceive English as a key to economic success. They also value consumerism, branding, and personal responsibility. In light of the study findings, we suggest a decolonial option, reflective activism, and post‐method pedagogy as possible alternatives at the micro‐, meso‐, and macro‐levels to resist the discourses of neoliberalism and colonial power patterns entrenched in a postcolonial society like Pakistan.