the web is the limit: language, culture and moocs

MOOCs remain the buzzwords of the current landscape of higher education (HE) provision. In the context of the ever growing use of technology through e - Learning and OpenCourseWare and of the new generation of tablet - toting, hyper - connected youth, the university will continue to extend its reach to students around the world, unbounded by geography and time zones, at a fast pace and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college education. In this context, “To Mooc or not to Mooc” remains a question that several universities are beginning to con sider against more pressing critical reflections on issues pertaining to their language and culture. Our paper aims to examine the role of language and culture in online learning, particularly the hegemony of English and Western cultures against the rising “politics of marginality” that other languages are forced to adopt in a dominant, non - negotiable, disruptive online competition space.