Lest they betray the interests of the very people they fight for, South Asian language activists who advocate displacing English in favor of indigenous languages should clearly consider the arguments presented in this important book. Counterintuitively, the authors demonstrate how English proficiency can actually enhance respect for and strengthen the vitality of mother tongues. They rightly insist that as the primary language of science, research, and international communication, English unlocks access to a vast repository of human wisdom and experience. This access is particularly liberating for non-elite South Asians, especially women who face limitations in terms of mobility and exposure to diverse perspectives. By investing in English acquisition, individuals can leverage ties to global knowledge for revitalizing society and hugely enhance their own social mobility. Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Physicist and columnist In this groundbreaking and deeply humane work, Hassan and Hussein illuminate how English acquisition becomes a powerful vehicle for social mobility, identity transformation, and leadership development among South Asia's non-elite populations. Through rich narratives and careful analysis, they reveal how access to English has become inseparable from access to dignity, opportunity, and full participation in global society. This meticulously researched book makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of language, power, and social justice - essential reading for educators, policymakers and scholars interested in linguistic equity and social transformation in the global South.Dr. Carola Suarez-Orozco, HGSEThis book makes a persuasive case for learning and using English agentively by people in South Asia for their leadership and development efforts. The authors articulate how Subaltern people can resist English from within, by diversifying its norms and values for empowering purposes. They inspire us to engage in critical education and activism from their own experiences at the community level. Dr. Suresh Canagarajah, Penn StateThrough heart-wrenching tales and razor-sharp analysis, Hasan and Hussein offer a never-before-seen look into the fraught reality of learning English for the non-elites in South Asia, whose struggles and triumphs constitute a powerful counter-narrative to the often-elitist position of undermining English under the banner of promoting mother tongues. Policy makers take heed!Dr. Hansun Zhang Waring, Teachers CollegeIn Language-liberation-leadership, Hasan and Hussein offer a powerful reimagining of English language education in the Global South. Drawing on field work across six South Asian countries, they challenge deficit narratives and show how Subaltern learners are reclaiming English as a tool for resistance, dignity, and self-determined leadership. Through community-rooted pedagogies grounded in indigenous, onto-epistemologies, this work disrupts colonial hierarchies and centers belonging. A vital contribution to decolonial and critical pedagogy, this book is essential for educators and policy makers envisioning English classrooms as a space of humanization, resistance, and radical hope. Dr. Sarina Chugani Molina, University of San DiegoThis is a beautifully written and ambitious book that provides a wide-ranging account of the experiences of non-elite learners of English from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. It shows powerfully the ways in which language is entangled with social structures and, specifically, how the use of English by elites in South Asia has served to reproduce inequalities by both caste and class. It will be of significant interest to scholars from a wide range of disciplines - including education, sociology and youth studies.Rachel Brooks (University of Oxford) President, British Sociological AssociationIn South Asia, millions of learners without access to quality English education or environments for practice rely on their agency to learn the language. In doing so, they redefine their identities, fight for access to leadership, and dismantle the societal class structures that have long used English to maintain privilege. In Hasan and Hussein’s rich qualitative analysis, we can hear the voices of subaltern, non-elite individuals for whom learning English is far more than simply adding another language to their repertoire. While Language - Liberation - Leadership is a must-read for specialists in sociology, linguistics, public policy, and development, many of its chapters are highly accessible and will be of interest to the general public.Christina Sanz, Georgetown UniversityIt may seem counterintuitive to argue that fluency in English is critical to the life chances of non-elite South Asians whose native languages are still the lingua franca of everyday life. In this volume, Hasan and Hussein skillfully trace the development of English language usage in South Asian settings, blending a macro historical account with interviews of aspiring leaders. They make the case that oral fluency in English is both the knowledge of the powerful and powerful knowledge. English opens doors of opportunity for non-elites to exercise leadership, and provides access to new ways of thinking that promote novel identities and positive self-esteem.Aaron M. Pallas, Dept. of Sociology, Colombia
