///
The Burning of Paper Instead of Children
[…]
27 from this tongue this slab of limestone
28 or reinforced concrete
29 fanatics and traders
30 dumped on this coast wildgreen clayred
31 that breathed once
32 in signals of smoke
33 sweep of the wind
34 knowledge of the oppressor
35 this is the oppressor’s language
36 yet I need it to talk to you”
RICH, Adrienne. “The Burning of Paper Instead of Children”. Available on: <http://sccs.swarthmore.edu>. Accessed on: August 20th, 2018.
The lines 35-36, “this is the oppressor’s language / yet I need it to talk to you”, in a context of English as a Foreign Language teaching, can convey the notion that:
I. there are power relations involved in language learning.
II. learning the language of a dominant culture can reveal an act of resistance.
III. it is impossible to learn the language of the oppressor because asymmetrical relations prevent acquisition.
IV. teaching a foreign language is unavoidably oppressive.
V. learning English as a Foreign Language can be a way through which students from oppressed social groups can empower themselves inside a context of domination.