LANGUAGE POLICIES AND COLONIALITY: THE CASE OF BILINGUALISM IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

This article offers a reflective and critical look at bilingualism in Colombia. It examines how official language policies interact with teacher education and how these relationships are shaped by the coloniality of knowledge, being, and language. Using a state-of-the-art review inspired integrative approach, along with a decolonial ecolinguistics lens, the study discusses how the National Bilingualism Program has encouraged a narrow understanding of bilingualism focused on Spanish and English. This emphasis often overlooks Indigenous languages and the diverse cultural and territorial contexts of the country. The discussion also considers the effects of this policy on teacher professional development, standardized testing, and the ongoing challenges faced by teacher education programs, especially in rural and peripheral regions. Insights from teaching experiences in southern Colombia highlight the importance of rethinking ideas such as global citizenship and twenty-first-century skills in ways that make sense locally. The article argues for a more critical and context-responsive pedagogy that recognizes Colombia’s linguistic diversity, promotes the creation of locally relevant educational materials, and strengthens teacher preparation so that educators can act as agents of linguistic and epistemic justice.