Effects of Linguistic Imperialism in Achieving Equity and Inclusion in English Language Teaching as a Second Language in Lesotho

Even after efforts to decolonize education, post-colonial countries such as Lesotho are said to retain vestiges of colonial traditions in English language teaching. This has marginalized learners, cultures, and languages in the educational system. Following SDG 4.5, the study looked into the consequences of linguistic imperialism on English as a Foreign Language in Lesotho, which hinder equity and inclusion in the EFL environment. This study's philosophical lenses were derived from Critical Realism paradigm, which explored themes of power relations, politics, and language use. Furthermore, the study used a qualitative case study approach in six high schools to learn about the experiences of 6 EFL teachers. Data was collected through one-on-one open-ended interviews, then analysed thematically. The findings demonstrated that English's dominance in the language field maintains power dynamics that promote linguistic imperialism and impede complete epistemic access to language education. Strategies for eradicating hegemonic beliefs were examined, and the study recommended using the Grammar of the Decoloniality Framework to address the complexities of linguistic imperialism in an EFL classroom. The study found both harmful and beneficial consequences of linguistic imperialism. As a result, a paradigm shift away from a monolingual and monoculture approach and towards a more inclusive and multilingual perspective was recommended.