Language and Violence: Teaching English language during the Anthropocene

Abstract

In this article I will be examining two aspects of aspects of language teaching that needs to be addressed urgently. The first one involves the relationship between culture and language. I will be examining the role of cultural embedding involved in language teaching and learning and the need for decolonising materials. I will also be looking at the violence inherent in languages belong to communities wielding power and hegemony – in this instance, English. In a sense, the second issue is an extension of the first problem. In this article, I argue that the violence towards nature which is the hallmark of the Anthropocene, is sustained and perpetuated through languages. While teaching English there is an urgent need to become aware of the insidious ways in which exploitative practices are sustained through language.