Experiencing the “spread policy” of English: An instance of a U.S.-funded program

Abstract

Overt international policies of spreading English around the world have been illustrated to exist both as historical trends as well as current undertakings by English-speaking countries. However, the contemporary processes of implementing these policies are not widely researched. To investigate an actual instance of such processes, this study explored the implementation of a U.S.-funded program for teaching English in Morocco. We examined the experiences of a group of participants in the English Access Microscholarship Program (Access), specifically focusing on what they recalled as the main cultural elements imparted by the program through its contents and activities, and their reactions to these elements. Individual interviews were conducted with three Moroccan students, two teachers, and two administrators involved with Access. Qualitative data analysis through iterative coding procedures depicted different aspects of American culture presented through the program as well as the participants’ reactions as three emerging themes: “All about the US culture,” “I felt uncomfortable,” and “I feel grateful.” Discussing these findings, we argue that sociocultural awareness is needed on the part of not only the audiences of programs such as Access but also English language policy makers, teachers, and learners around the non-Anglophone world in general.