LANGUAGE, POWER AND LANGUAGE POLICIES: SPANISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND THE GROWTH OF ENGLISH IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL
This article analyzes the relationship between language and power in the educational context of Mato Grosso do Sul, a state bordering Spanish-speaking countries, considering the effects of language policies on foreign language education. It examines the removal of the mandatory teaching of Spanish in Brazilian schools and the growing valorization of English as a prestigious language, seeking to understand the cultural, educational, and political impacts resulting from this change. In this context, the study discusses language policies and their relationship with processes of valorization and devaluation of certain languages within the school environment. It also addresses the concept of prestige bilingualism, proposed by Antonieta Megale, in relation to the expansion of bilingual schools in Mato Grosso do Sul. In particular, it questions the use of this designation by institutions that do not fully meet the legal and pedagogical requirements for bilingual education. The analysis shows that linguistic choices embedded in educational policies are not neutral, as they may reproduce hierarchies among languages, cultures, and social groups. It concludes that the strengthening of English, associated with the decline of Spanish, produces significant effects on the educational context of Mato Grosso do Sul and calls for critical reflection on linguistic diversity, educational policies, and power relations.