This book offers a unique insight into the dynamics of the English
language in higher education in Cyprus through the lens of
universities situated on both sides of its geopolitical division.
It takes an original perspective on 'value' in the context of the
sociolinguistics and political economy of English as a global
language and as an apparent commodified entity. The problematic
issues of value as they apply to language are dealt with from
Marxist and Bourdieusean perspectives. The book also offers a
helpful critique of the claims of alternative paradigms of English
expansion, such as ELF, and their shortcomings in respect of the
concept of value. Manuela Vida-Mannl puts forth a critique of the
marketization of English and the complicity of higher education in
the reproduction of linguistic hierarchies and social inequalities
in Cyprus and, by implication, more generally. She presents a
conception of English as a marketable attribute that does not
necessarily require competence, which points to the ongoing
imbrication of English in the reproduction of global structural and
social inequality, as it exposes the myth of class advancement
through English. Building on an extensive study (based on 205
questionnaires and 25 subsequent in-depth ethnographic interviews)
and by focusing on the value of English within the unique context
of divided Cyprus, this book uncovers an intriguing perspective on
the neoliberal role and significance of the English language in our
globalized world.
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