Abstract

English is one of the most powerful globalizing media and agents in Asia. But what exactly is this thing that is globalized? Who is it addressed to? What global circuits does it move in and with what effects? How does it relate to other networks of global culture and capital? This article draws from the work of Alistair Pennycook to examine the form and content of the English that is disseminated in English language lessons in Asia. To that extent, it uses two editions of a commercial EFL textbook that is widely used in Thailand and other parts of Asia. The article is intended for practicing teachers and administrators of TEFL in Asia and for scholars working in cultural and postcolonial studies. It is hoped that it will inspire practitioners to adopt a more critical intellectual attitude to the role of English as a communicative instrument, global commodity, and aspect of mass culture.