“English is my only weapon”: Neoliberal language ideologies and youth metadiscourse in South Korea

This study explores language ideologies among adolescents attending a South Korean English academy. Current research on language ideologies and English learning has primarily been conducted in countries where English is predominantly spoken, or among adult learners. This study explores these dynamics in South Korea, a country where English is not widely spoken, yet plays a key role in educational and economic opportunity. We analyzed written questionnaires from 27 adolescents positioned as “near-native” English speakers within their English academy. Our analysis documented specific audiences participants invoked in their reflections on English learning, which included adults, peers, language policies, and a hypothesized community of “native English speakers.” We then explored the range of purposes for which participants discussed the use of English across these audiences. Throughout the sample, participants positioned English use in relation to economic status, perceived intelligence, and employability in both global and local contexts. We found participants were keenly aware of their ability to strategically leverage English to both accommodate and resist these dynamics across multiple audiences. We argue that participants' understanding and leveraging of neoliberal language ideologies illustrates the need to explicitly address these dynamics within global English learning. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate adolescents' agency, creativity, and metalinguistic awareness toward language and its use.