Salvationism and Developmentalism: coloniality biases in an English language textbook

Résumé

This text analyses a unit from the English language textbook Life, which is used in language schools in Brazil and around the world. Through decolonial literature, our aim was to identify and analyse the biases of coloniality present in this unit. Using Content Analysis, we were able to verify the existence of two biases: salvationism and developmentalism. The first is related to the idea that communities considered primitive need to be saved and that colonised peoples are incapable of managing their own destiny. The second refers to the cultural imposition and the view that countries considered underdeveloped have the mission of achieving European evolution. Thus, we can see that the textbook analysed does not scape the ‘patriarchal/capitalist/colonial/modern world-system’ and that its knowledge is situated, despite the idea that there is neutrality in its content and vision. In this way, the textbook also supports the colonial discourse that has led to the suppression and marginalisation of traditional knowledge and practices.