Bilingual Colombia: What does It Mean to Be Bilingual within the Framework of the National Plan of Bilingualism?

This article is a partial research report of a critical discourse analysis of the document “Estándares básicos de competencias en lenguas extranjeras: inglés. Formar en lenguas extranjeras: ¡el reto!” (Basic standards for competences in foreign languages: English. Teaching in foreign languages: The challenge!). The analysis was informed by theory on critical discourse analysis (CDA) and on symbolic power (particularly language as symbolic power). In an attempt to interpret what it means to be bilingual in Colombia according to this document, the data show that 1) Being bilingual means speaking English; and 2) Bilingualism is constructed as a packed, monolithic and homogeneous concept.