Scholarship 2.0:

Countering the Hegemony of English for Making Knowledge Production Locally More Valuable in the Global South

Abstract

Scholars have shown how the politics of English(es) can perpetuate structures of unequal power, marginalization, and injustice (as well as being used to counter them). Yet, scholars in the global south remain complacent and complicit about the status quo. Focusing on social justice and equity, this paper, based on the plenary given at the Entangled Englishes Conference in Dhaka, will show how we can disentangle ourselves from the hegemony of English(es) and its localized power politics. Sharing what I call a “scholar 2.0” framework, I show how practically confronting the hegemony of English(es) requires transcending individual interest and ego, mobilizing all languages in the interest of local society and professions, and engaging in translanguaging and critical global citizenship. Only by producing new knowledge for our own communities and societies – in many languages and new local venues – can we give life and meaning to our critical perspectives on language.