Attitudes of Mexican university students toward United States hegemony and the learning of English

This dissertation sought to provide information relevant to decisions regarding the function of the teaching of English as a goal of the Mexican educational system. The specific objective of the study was to find out the extent to which university students want to learn English and how this is related to their attitudes toward the hegemony of the United States in Mexico. The concern was whether students wished to learn English because they acknowledged the superiority and leadership of the United States; or, whether students simply study English without attachment to notions of hegemony. A theoretical framework that includes the social, cultural, and political aspects of the spread of English is adopted in this study. A point of departure considers the meaning of Mexican nationalism as a form of resistance toward the United States which is perceived as a threat to sovereignty and cultural identity.;A questionnaire was used to collect data from 367 freshman students at a public university. The questionnaire included items about the political, economic, and cultural role of the United States in Mexico. Items were factor analyzed and a scale to measure the degree of acceptance of U.S. hegemony was developed. Questions on purposes for learning English were also factor analyzed and three scales to measure cultural, professional, and academic purposes were created. The findings show: (a) a positive significant relationship between the acceptance of U.S. hegemony and cultural and professional purposes for learning English, and (b) a negative tendency in the relationship between the acceptance of U.S. hegemony and academic purposes for learning English.;The conclusions of this study call into question the cultural and political implications of the "neutrality" of English as an international language. It is recommended that public universities in Mexico integrate in their teaching of English ways to oppose the reinforcement of attitudes not compatible with their educational philosophy. Language learning objectives and pedagogies should emerge as part of a growing awareness of the possible roles and real uses that the learning of English can bring about.