Migrant Workers and Language Education: Filipino Martime Professionals as a Case in Point

With the rise of a global workplace, language education takes center stage as it is a primary component in shaping the identity of different workers. Coupled with the different stratifications produced by globalization, the... [ view full abstract ]

With the rise of a global workplace, language education takes center stage as it is a primary component in shaping the identity of different workers. Coupled with the different stratifications produced by globalization, the learning of English departs from a mere positivistic process but becomes a central force in imbuing individuals the needed cultural capital to fit in the global market. This paper discusses the visual representations of students taking an accelerated seafarer’s course of their profession as “servants of globalization”. Borne out of a project between the researchers’ university and a training company for seafarers in the Philippines, the outputs presented in this project draws from work done by 52 students taking the course. Anchored on the view of language education as a tool for mobility, our examination of visual and written work concerning the students’ views of their profession and the importance of English in their work as future maritime professionals reveals their understanding of the processes of the commodification of labor. Further, we attempt to sketch alternative engagements to language policy in education in the Philippines that considers the tensions brought about by globalization.