Decolonizing higher education institutions’ language curriculum: A collaborative autoethnography

Decoloniality is essential for building just and equitable institutions and requires discourse, action, and education to address societal injustices. As language teachers, we believe that decolonizing the language curriculum is crucial for developing an educational framework that values local identities, knowledge systems, and languages. This collaborative autoethnography examines our perspectives and experiences as we navigate decolonial practices in language education within our institutions. Using reflective thematic analysis, our narratives expose the persistent influence of colonial language ideologies and systemic barriers that hinder efforts to decolonize curricula. They also reveal the intricate relationship between individual agencies and institutional constraints, highlighting how economic and structural pressures shape decolonial initiatives. This study highlights the importance of ongoing critical examination of language policies, pedagogical practices, and curricular reforms. We argue that without structural transformations that challenge the entrenched colonial logic of higher education, decolonial efforts risk becoming isolated acts of resistance, rather than catalysts for systemic change. The findings underscore the need to reevaluate language education frameworks, prioritizing linguistic and epistemic justice over neoliberal and colonial imperatives. This study contributes to the broader discourse on decoloniality, offering insights into the ongoing tensions, possibilities, and limitations of decolonizing language education in higher education institutions.