English hegemony: A perspective from the conceptions of a group of Venezuelan English Teachers

This paper presents the findings of a research work examining the views about the spread and use of English as an international language among a group of Venezuelan English teachers. Participants were 78 English teachers from San Cristobal, Táchira State, who worked in several high schools and universities, both private and public. A questionnaire and an in-depth interview were used as data collection instruments. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method, following the steps suggested under Grounded Theory. Atlas.ti was used to help analyzing data. The resulting categories were: views of English expansion as colonial, apolitical and acritical, or positive and neutral. Findings show that participants perceived the expansion of the English language as positive and advantageous, since they gave them prestige and access to capital. This view suggests the use of the English language is dissociated from sociocultural, political, and ideological implications, which are associated to worldwide English hegemony.