DECOLONIZATION OF ENGLISH TEACHING IN COLOMBIA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CITIZENSHIP AND DIDACTICS IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56219/lneaimaginaria.v2i26.6441Keywords:
critical citizenship, decolonization, English language teaching, teacher training, ruralityAbstract
This article offers a critical and constructive perspective on EFL (English as a Foreign Language) instruction in Colombia, engaging with emancipatory pedagogy and recent Colombian research in didactics, language policy, and teacher education. The central issue addressed is the persistence of urban-rural disparities and a form of pedagogical coloniality that reduces English to an externally standardized marker of prestige while restricting the agency of both teachers and students. The analysis spans basic, secondary, and higher education, drawing on examples from rural areas (multigrade schools with limited connectivity) and urban settings (peripheral universities). Employing a reflective, document-based methodological approach, the study reviewed publications from the last decade (2015–2025)—primarily from Colombia—including rural and urban case studies, teacher narratives, and policy analyses grounded in a decolonial framework. Key findings indicate that the local implementation of national English policy creates tensions between accountability, teacher autonomy, and cultural relevance; decolonization in EFL is realized by acknowledging linguistic plurality, legitimizing hybrid repertoires, and fostering critical citizenship through local inquiry projects; and teacher education is strengthened through the adoption of decolonial pedagogies, horizontal mentoring, and community-based research practices. In conclusion, the article proposes a course of action—encompassing curriculum design principles, classroom strategies, and guidelines for English teacher training programs—that prioritizes student voice, the contextualization of materials, and linguistic justice.
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