Language Education, Politics and Technology in South Asia

Uma Pradhan is Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, University College London, UK.Mohini Gupta has completed a DPhil from the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, UK. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark.

• Introduction: Language and Education Futures in South AsiaPart I: Language and PoliticsChapter 1 - Youth Perspectives on Hindi, English and India’s New Politics of Language: Becoming BharatChapter 2 - Language Textbooks as a Site of Conflict in India: The Phenomenon of ‘Erased Curriculum’Chapter 3 - The Challenges of Literacy Acquisition and Linguistic Proficiency in Multilingual Educational Landscape of PakistanChapter 4 - Mother-tongue-based Education and Indian Teachers’ views on Language Policy Reforms by the Bharatiya Janata PartyChapter 5 - Unofficial Bilingualism in English-only Policy Context: A Postmethod Pedagogy for Difficult Circumstances in Rural Government Schools of Tamil NaduPart II: Language and InclusivityChapter 6 - Kerala’s Language Directive and the Erasure of Gendered Teacher IdentitiesChapter 7 - Multilingualism and globalisation in remote trans-Himalayan India: How topography and place-experience impact language learningChapter 8 - Future of education in Bangladesh: Everyday politics of language between competition, integration, and modernisationChapter 9 - Language Documentation, Dialects, and Education among the Naawa of NepalPart III: Language and TechnologyChapter 10 - Indian Languages and Language Acquisition Apps: My Phone Won’t Teach Me MalayalamChapter 11 - Remembering Nepal Bhasa through Artificial Intelligence (AI) Translations: Language, Technology and Indigenous MemoryChapter 12 - Navigating the Pedagogical Implications of Digital Education in BangladeshChapter 13 - Remote virtual teacher communities in Sri Lanka: Difficulties and possibilities

“Language Education, Politics and Technology in South Asia: Shaping Inclusive Societies, Identities, and Futures is a significant contribution to understanding the intricate and often contentious relationships between language, education, politics and technology in the rapidly evolving context of South Asia. Through its three comprehensive sections with diverse and richly researched chapters, the book deftly analyses the interplay between language and power, the everyday practices and ideologies that challenge established norms, and the transformative impact of the digital age on language use and preservation. This is an essential resource for those committed to fostering inclusive and equitable societies through informed language and education policies.”Tariq Rahman, PhD, DLitt (Sheffield), Humboldt Research Award, Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow, Distinguished National Professor and Professor Emeritus, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. (Member of the Common Room, Wolfson College, Oxford)"Though language diversity is touted as a new postmodern experience by Western scholars, South Asia boasts a multilingualism that is centuries old. Recent developments such as mobility, globalization, and technology have complicated the local language ecology, and persuaded even educationists in South Asia to treat English medium instruction as the best path for progress. Authors in this book adopt a critical view of the new and the old, and provide constructive directions forward by drawing from their rich indigenous traditions to negotiate the new."Professor Suresh Canagarajah, Evan Pugh University Professor, Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, USA"Language Education, Politics and Technology in South Asia: Shaping Inclusive Societies, Identities, and Futures offers a compelling exploration of the complexities of language, education, and power in a postcolonial world. With a focus on the region’s linguistic diversity, this book provides critical insights into the challenges and opportunities of language education, addressing the impact of technology and social hierarchies. A must-read for anyone interested in language policy, decolonial studies, and education in South Asia."Professor Jieun Kiaer, University of Oxford, UK