Ideologies of Pluriculturalism and Neo-Nationalism in EFL Classrooms in Poland: An Exploratory Study of Teachers’ Self-Reports

Neo-nationalism has played a key role in Poland’s recent political and social life. The government’s focus on preserving one vision of national identity, including ethnic and religious homogeneity, goes against the European Union’s plurilingual and pluricultural policies. No research has been done on the impact of these values on foreign language teaching in contemporary Poland, especially in terms of how teachers perceive their role in enacting such policies. This chapter reports on the results of an exploratory study in which four English language instructors in Poland at various educational levels were interviewed. The participants discussed the role of culture and language in their teaching, highlighting the impact of the current political climate on their practice. The authors then discuss these findings in light of recent social and immigration debates in Poland. Finally, they draw on theories of nationalism and anti-nationalist language pedagogies to offer curricular recommendations for pluricultural education.