Does English really open doors? Social class and English teaching in public primary schools in Mexico

Drawing on critical theorists' examinations of class, education, and social reproduction, the author examines how English instruction differs in classrooms across social class, and asks if English will actually change the equation for working class children. Presenting classroom observation data from an impact study of the pilot phase of the Mexican program in the primary grades, and from interviews with a variety of the stakeholders, the researcher looks at ways that the reality of program implementation does and does not match its aims.