Rehumanizing English Language Teaching: A Philosophical Inquiry into Language-Making Beings and the Purpose of ELT

Ledya Fitriyana; Wedra Aprison

doi:10.58485/jie.v4i3.464

Authors

Ledya Fitriyana Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, Indonesia
Wedra Aprison Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58485/jie.v4i3.464

Keywords:

Humanistic education, language-making being, linguistic justice, ELT philosophy, global citizenship, language of hope, advocacy in language education

Abstract

English Language Teaching (ELT) in many global and Indonesian contexts has long been dominated by technical–instrumental orientations, including grammar instruction, standardized test preparation, and utilitarian communicative competence for academic and economic mobility. These practices reduce language to a functional skill and overlook its deeper humanistic, moral, and philosophical dimensions. This conceptual article examines ELT through the philosophical notion of humans as language-making beings individuals who construct meaning, identity, and social reality through language. Drawing on humanistic educational philosophy, perspectives on linguistic rights, Maturana’s theory of language and emotion, and contemporary critiques of exam-oriented ELT, the article argues that language education should serve as a process of humanization rather than technical training. The discussion highlights the need to reorient ELT toward moral imagination, hope, advocacy, and global citizenship. The article also situates these issues in the Indonesian ELT landscape, where exam-driven and native-speaker–oriented practices remain dominant, despite growing calls for multilingual justice. Ultimately, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for humanistic ELT that affirms learners’ identities, supports ethical awareness, and promotes English as a medium for constructing meaningful social participation.

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