English_as_Imperial_Language_Presentation

1.

English as an Imperial Language
• A Qualitative Study of Iraqi Postgraduate EFL
Students
• (2025 Summary PPT)

2.

Study Overview
• • Qualitative interviews with 15 Iraqi
postgraduate EFL students
• • Two universities: Baghdad & Erbil
• • Focus: Attitudes toward English dominance
• • Method: Semi-structured interviews

3.

Theme 1: English as Opportunity
• • Access to global education
• • Better employment chances
• • Access to research & academic resources
• • International mobility

4.

Theme 2: Cultural & Linguistic
Threat
• • Fear of losing Arabic/Kurdish language status
• • Concerns about cultural erosion
• • English seen as dominating local identity

5.

Theme 3: Identity Negotiation
• • Students try to balance English with native
identity
• • English used strategically, not as identity
replacement
• • Awareness of linguistic imperialism

6.

Context of Iraq
• • English introduced during British mandate
• • Expanded post-2003 with globalization
• • Stronger presence in higher education &
science
• • Tensions between global needs and local
culture

7.

Implications
• • Need for balanced language policy
• • Strengthen native language alongside
English
• • Develop culturally sensitive EFL curricula
• • Support identity-affirming learning
environments

8.

Conclusion
• • Students view English with ambivalence
• • Both beneficial and potentially imperialistic
• • Identity negotiation is central
• • Calls for balanced, context-sensitive
educational policy