DECOLONIZING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: LOCAL CULTURE INTEGRATION AND IDENTITY NEGOTIATION IN POSTCOLONIAL CONTEXTS DECOLONIZING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: LOCAL CULTURE INTEGRATION AND IDENTITY NEGOTIATION IN POSTCOLONIAL CONTEXTS

Abstract

English Language Teaching (ELT) in postcolonial contexts is deeply entangled with historical legacies of colonialism, linguistic imperialism, and epistemic hierarchies. Despite the global utility of English, conventional ELT often marginalizes local cultures, languages, and learner identities, perpetuating inequities in knowledge production and representation. This study investigates strategies to decolonize ELT by integrating local cultural content and fostering identity negotiation among learners. Employing bibliographic research combined with critical discourse analysis and bibliometric mapping, the study systematically examines 132 peer-reviewed publications from 2010 to 2025. The analysis identifies dominant research themes, publication trends, and intellectual networks within decolonial ELT scholarship. Findings indicate that curriculum reform incorporating local literature, translanguaging practices, and culturally responsive pedagogy enhances learner engagement, linguistic confidence, and critical awareness. Moreover, learners exposed to integrated local culture negotiate complex, additive identities that bridge local, national, and global dimensions. Bibliometric analysis reveals a marked increase in publications on decolonial ELT from 2018 onwards, with the majority emerging from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, highlighting a global shift toward context-sensitive pedagogical approaches. Conceptual frameworks derived from the literature suggest that effective decolonizing strategies interconnect three domains: structural curriculum adaptation, culturally responsive teaching, and learner identity empowerment. These findings advance theoretical debates on linguistic justice, epistemic equity, and intercultural competence in ELT. The study emphasizes that decolonial pedagogical interventions not only reinforce cultural legitimacy but also strengthen English proficiency and global communicative competence.