Chapter 8: Resisting Globalisation: Empowering Mexican English-Language Teachers

The English language teaching (ELT) profession in Mexico has long been influenced by the dictates of Anglo-American countries as witnessed by heavy reliance on outside expertise, imported textbooks and foreign teaching methodologies. Scant consideration is given to the effectiveness of such imported methods and materials. In this paper, I argue that despite increasingly globalised commercial practices, teaching professionals of the future in Mexico are beginning to question the indiscriminate adoption of external solutions to domestic challenges. First of all, I claim that trainee teachers are starting to examine the “ownership” of English and ask whether their students have to follow “imported” language models. Given that the trainee teachers’ attitudes are not fully developed or formalised, this paper is an initial attempt at trying to identify current thinking and developing trends with regard to the teaching of English in Mexico. Secondly, I argue that marked contradictions characterise English language teaching in Mexico as teachers try to respond to local needs but recognise the reality of having to help their students communicate Anglo-American varieties of English.