Foreign Language Education Under Global Neoliberalism

Foreign language education is shaped by global neoliberalism, which prioritizes market-driven values like competition, individualism, and economic efficiency. In this context, language learning is often framed as a tool to enhance employability, mobility, and global competitiveness. Educational policies and curricula shift, emphasizing utilitarian outcomes and performance metrics over holistic or humanistic approaches. While this shift expands access for language learning, it also raises concerns about the commodification of language, the marginalization of less “marketable” languages, and the erosion of deeper intercultural understanding. Further exploration may reveal the long-term impacts of language learning and development under neoliberalist policies and ideals. Foreign Language Education Under Global Neoliberalism explores how global neoliberal policies influence the purpose, structure, and delivery of foreign language education, prioritizing economic utility over cultural or educational values. It examines the implications of this shift, including the commodification of language skills, the dominance of certain languages, and the impact on educational equity and cultural diversity. This book covers topics such as global business, international relations, and political science, and is a useful resource for government officials, educators, academicians, researchers, and political scientists.