The aim of this paper is threefold. The first section shows how the political uses of language engendered by both western-style liberalism on the one hand and various forms of nationalism on the other lead to the negation of democratic ideals. Because of the current international situation, political aspects of language are receiving more and more attention. Second and Third World countries regularly accuse the United States and other First World countries of linguistic imperialism. In the former, national languages have become a weapon against the external imposition of a "new world order." The second section focuses on intellectuals and education and their role in the reproduction of these systems. Language specialists and teachers typically function as instruments of dominant ideologies; their nearly exclusive focus on linguistic and developmental issues tends to obscure the broader socio-political context underlying their theories. The third section suggests ways in which English as an International Language (EIL) could function as a democratic language through the development of a transglossic function for English and through the democratization of education. Only as learners participate in the educational process, and following Gramsci are elevated to the status of intellectuals capable of making their own decisions, will a democratic model of EIL be aimed at. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/SR)