English teaching programs, particularly in foreign language contexts focus on linguistic and methodological aspects rather than on ideological ones, in spite of their importance to examine the political nature of teaching and learning English because it connects language classrooms to larger social dynamics. Critical applied linguistics is an approach that addresses “questions of power, difference, access, and domination,” and how they are produced. This articles explores the social, national, and global forces that shape English language teaching in Costa Rica.

English teaching programs, especially those for teaching English as a foreign language, focus on linguistic and methodological aspects; not ideological ones, despite their importance for analyzing the relationships between pedagogical aspects and more extensive dynamic social processes. Critical applied linguistics studies "questions of power, difference, access and domination" and the way in which these elements are produced. The social, national and international forces that shape the teaching and acquisition of English in Costa Rica are explored.