The soft power of English: language promotion and public policy in Latin America

English promotion has become a central feature of Latin American policy agendas over the last two decades, driven less by coercion than by the language's global appeal and strategic utility. Drawing on soft-power theory and policy-diffusion scholarship, this Perspective analyzes how English shapes governance priorities in labor markets, education, diplomacy, and trade. It examines national cases from Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, selected to illustrate variation across subregions, policy models, and implementation trajectories. While not exhaustive, these cases are analytically representative of broader regional dynamics observable across Central America, the Andean region, and parts of the Caribbean. It shows that governments embrace English to attract foreign investment, boost wages, and enhance diplomatic reach, often with technical and financial assistance from the United States and United Kingdom. While English promises economic and geopolitical gains, it also raises concerns about cultural autonomy and social equity. The article concludes that Latin American states must balance the benefits of English-led integration with inclusive access and safeguarding linguistic diversity, demonstrating how soft power can simultaneously empower and constrain national policy choices.