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The love of all things English begins at a young age in non-English-speaking countries, promoted by pop culture, Hollywood movies, fast-food brands, sports events and TV shows.
Later, with English skills and international education qualifications from high school, the path is laid to prestigious international universities in the English-speaking world and employment opportunities at home and abroad.
But those opportunities aren't distributed equally across socioeconomic groups. Global education in English is largely reserved for middle-class students.
This is creating a divide between those inside the global English proficiency ecosystem and those relegated to parts of the education system where such opportunities don't exist.
[...] It's unfortunate so many schools view an English-speaking model as the gold standard and overlook their own local or regional wisdoms. We need to remember that encouraging young people to join a privileged English-speaking élite educated in foreign universities is only one of many possible educational options.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday August 11 2020, @04:37PM (2 children)
"Superpower" comprises those areas, plus cultural hegemony and technological prowess, which the US also enjoys. China, notably, is trying to extend its economic power to other spheres but has only really succeeded at technological prowess so far; it remains to be seen if the Chinese coronavirus will blunt its accession to other areas as well as its current economic power. Despite external appearances, Chinese society is fractious.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by ChrisMaple on Wednesday August 12 2020, @12:54AM (1 child)
The coronavirus is a single speedbump. In 10 years, it won't be thought of as anything other than another example of mainland China being a disease incubator.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday August 12 2020, @12:57AM
You might be right. But there are signs that a structural reconfiguration, and possibly a second cold war, are brewing; the coronavirus could catalyze that.
Washington DC delenda est.