| English has achieved an international status for 1.5 billion people. It appears that English proliferates “naturally” because it is an effect of value-free nonhuman forces of complexity-of-the market, and the capitalist system. In 1994 investment and trade introduced through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened up the Mexican economy to Canada and the United States. The creation of NAFTA resulted in policies affecting language and migration among the three nations, policies have been deemed politically divisive beyond the pale of a free-trade pact. This study explores the motivational attitudes characterized by overseas learners of English and the extent to which their attitudes toward English and their cultural beliefs influence their second language learning. The data are discussed in relation to language attitudes and second language development, psychological theories of identity development, and critical linguistics. The results show that macro-forces such as NAFTA have a positive effect on attitudes toward English and do not result in identity confusion. |
