ABSTRACT

Although Goa was subject to Portuguese colonial rule for 450 years, it is now English rather than Portuguese that dominates the linguistic fabric of the state. Using a postcolonial framework drawn from the writings of Said and Gramsci, this article asks what the spread of the English language means in the Goan context. It begins by exploring the ideologies historically used to portray English as an instrument for development, mobility, communication and education rather than as a neo-colonial threat to local languages. As a consequence, it is shown that affluent families with generational expertise in English have greater access to high-quality secondary and tertiary education in Goa, which in turn results in improved professional opportunities. The article concludes that English is a vital component in the construction of a multidimensional European-adjacent identity that indexes superior social status in comparison with Goans who cannot claim fluency or literacy in the language.

摘要

尽管果阿 450 年来一直受葡萄牙殖民统治，但现在主导该州语言结构的是英语而不是葡萄牙语。本文使用从赛义德和葛兰西的著作中汲取的后殖民框架，询问英语在果阿语境中的传播意味着什么。它首先探索历史上用来将英语描绘成发展、流动、交流和教育的工具而不是对当地语言的新殖民主义威胁的意识形态。结果表明，拥有代际英语专业知识的富裕家庭在果阿有更多机会接受高质量的中等和高等教育，从而改善了职业机会。