This book presents a qualitative study of language learners in the Global South who overcame insurmountable odds to acquire English language. Drawing on rich data from successful non-elite, or Subaltern learners, it explores the intersection of leadership development and English acquisition, and documents their identity reconstruction and metamorphosis.

The authors provide a detailed overview of the position of English in the modern world, as well as the unique historical relationship between the language and South Asia. They then examine the determination of marginalized individuals to acquire English and introduce the term Liberative Motivation to define the desire to break out of restrictive class/caste-based silos. Filling a crucial gap in the narrative of English in South Asia, they explore the influence that English acquisition has on Subaltern identity, leadership, and self-esteem. The participants’ stories are deeply moving and evidence that for the Subaltern, dignity, respect, inclusion and an educated identity are near impossibilities without knowing English. In response, the authors present The ‘Subaltern Self-Determination and English Acquisition Framework’ to encapsulate the interplay of factors in the Subaltern’s journey towards English, and argue that denial of English education borders on the denial of a basic human right in our present reality.

A unique account of the learning experiences of Subaltern populations, this is an essential read for scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students with interests in Subaltern studies, English language acquisition, identity and leadership, and human rights.