English

(3 Credits)

Who does English belong to, and in a globalized society, does the concept of "native speaker" still hold meaning? This course examines the shifting boundaries of language ownership and identity in a globalized world. We will analyze the unseen power of English as both a tool for commerce and digital exchange and as a site of struggle over who defines the language. By exploring English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), we contrast traditional notions of linguistic "correctness" with how English is actually used by more than a billion speakers worldwide. We will investigate how educational policies, assessments, and classroom practices often uphold rigid standards that marginalize certain varieties of English as well as local and home languages, in addition to the role of AI in shaping global English and whether it empowers multilingual speakers or marginalizes those outside the "standard." Students will reflect on how their identities and opportunities are shaped by the perceived "nativeness" of their speech. Fieldwork in Abu Dhabi’s high-stakes, multilingual ELF context allows students to analyze how diverse communities reclaim and reshape English to suit their own needs.