Linguistic Discrimination and Global Englishes

Linguistic Discrimination and Global Englishes: Towards Equity and Justice in English Language Education interrogates the complex ways in which linguistic hierarchies, native-speakerism, and underlying institutional ideologies govern the landscape of modern pedagogy. Informed by Global Englishes research as well as raciolinguistic and linguistic human rights perspectives, this book re-envisions linguistic discrimination as an entrenched structural and institutionalised phenomenon rather than isolated prejudice, utilising raciolinguistic lenses to expose native-speakerism as a racialised hierarchy. Across 12 chapters, the volume systematises the critique by operationalising these theoretical insights, moving from conceptual foundations to critical examinations of hiring practices, assessment regimes, English-Medium Instruction (EMI), curricular materials, and the emerging challenges of AI-mediated governance in codifying linguistic standards. Through the synthesis of these domains, from algorithmic policy to classroom practice, it constructs a justice-oriented framework linking macro-level policy, meso-level institutional processes, and micro-level pedagogical transformation. Beyond a simple academic inquiry, this work provides the conceptual instruments for analysing structural linguicism and the epistemological repositioning required to generate a transformative agenda for curriculum reform, teacher education redesign, and organisational accountability. Linguistic justice accordingly serves as a moral imperative that, once institutionalised, acts as a catalyst for systemic change. Designed for researchers, teacher educators, postgraduate students, and policymakers in applied linguistics, TESOL, and language policy, the book is an essential roadmap for negotiating the complexities of how English is taught, learnt, assessed, and judged in a globalised world.

Yusop Boonsuk is an Associate Professor in English Language Education at the Faculty of Education, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. He specialises in Global Englishes, language policy, linguistic equity, and global citizenship education, maintaining a long-standing commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable institutional practices in English language teaching in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Section 1: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS: Understanding Linguistic Discrimination in GE 1. Linguistic Discrimination in Global Englishes 2. Native-Speakerism and the Reconceptualisation of Ownership 3. Accent, Legitimacy, and the Politics of Sound Section 2: INSTITUTIONALISED DISCRIMINATION IN ELT AND BEYOND: Exploring Real-World Barriers in Language Teaching and Professional Contexts 4. The Institutionalisation of Inequality in Global English Language Teaching 5. Linguistic Ideologies and Cultural (Mis)Representation in English Language Teaching Materials 6. Language Proficiency Testing as Gatekeeping and the Production of Inequality 7. Hiring Discrimination and Linguistic Inequality in Global Labour Markets 8. Linguistic Inequality in English-Medium Academic Publishing Epistemic Power, Global (In)Justice, and Academic Legitimacy Section 3: TOWARD LINGUISTIC JUSTICE: Promoting Equity, Policy Change, and Educational Reform 9. Reimagining English Language Policy: Pluricentric Frameworks for Linguistic Justice 10. Decolonising English Education: Epistemic Justice, Pedagogical Transformation, and Reclaiming Voice in ELT 11. Linguistic Justice in English Education: Rights, Resistance, and Reform 12. Final Thoughts: Linguistic Discrimination, Global Englishes, and Institutional Responsibility