“English Is My Knight”: Descriptions of Perceived Agency within the Hegemony of English

Abstract

Non-native speakers of English develop nuanced ways to navigate the global dominance of English. In this study, data was collected via focus group interviews in South Korea to examine how self-identified English speakers make sense of their relationship to English and to consider how this expressed relationship connects to perceived agency within the hegemony of English. Thematic analysis identified two themes: English as my Knight and English as my First Love. These themes connect to perceived agency in two ways: a) as enacted upon the participants through the process of being saved; b) as limited because even if English is difficult or challenging, they still cannot opt out of efforts to achieve competency. While English opens up spaces and opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable, there are still unavoidable pressures to learn. These perceptions of limited agency support a neoliberal sense of self with regard to English; this sense of self considers people as owners of language who hold individual responsibility to possess language skills, knowledge, and capabilities as a way to enact self-advancement.

Keywords

English hegemony / language ideology / neoliberalism / agency

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