Speaker
Description
This paper explores the complex relationship between the global spread of English and the domestic language policy movement known as 'English-Only' in the United States. While English functions as a global lingua franca, its institutionalization as the sole official language within the U.S. poses contradictions in education, minority rights, and international identity. This paper argues that the rise of Global English should prompt a rethinking of monolingual policies and advocates for a more inclusive, plurilingual language strategy for the U.S. in the global era.
Biography
Pham Thi Ngoc Mai is currently a PhD student in English Linguistics at Hanoi Open University, Vietnam. She is also a lecturer at Long An University of Economics and Industry for 18 years where she teaches undergraduate courses in English skills, language and culture, public speaking and occasionally in communication and culture. Her academic interests are across World Englishes, Global English, English as a Lingua Franca, and intercultural communication. She is particularly interested in how global English affects language attitudes, identity construction, and classroom practices in multilingual societies. Her current doctoral research investigates the global cultural identities of English as a global lingua franca, examining the perceptions of teachers and students in the context of a university in Southern Vietnam. With a strong interest in bridging global theory with local realities, she advocates for more inclusive, culturally responsive approaches to English language teaching and policy formation in Vietnam and beyond.
