It has of course been only too possible from a number of perspectives to argue that language and language teaching are neutral endeavours, and that English, as the 'chosen language' of the world community, is even more neutral than other local languages. From this perspective, English language teaching is an issue of structures, methods, sentences and sounds. A more critical perspective, however, suggests that we need to understand English language teaching as one arm of global linguistic imperialism, as interlinked with the dominance of Western ideology, culture and capitalism, and a crucial element in the denial of linguistic human rights. Such a position, however, while presenting a far more useful analysis of the implications of the global spread of English, nevertheless presents us with several problems.