Blurred Boundaries: The Future of English Language Learning and Teaching

1
Blurred Boundaries The Future of English
Language Learning and Teaching

• Dr. Randi Harlev
• December 2006

2
Future Trends The Inevitable Pendulum Swing

• Paradigm shifts in English teaching
• Globalization
• English in the world
• English in the US
• English language teaching and learning
• in the world
• in the US
• English language future trends
• English language teaching and learning future
  trends

3
Pendulum Swings
4
Paradigm Shifts Pendulum Swings

• Mechanistic Model
• Science
• Complexity can be reduced
• Measurability
• Whole sum of parts
• Parts adapt to model

• Organismic Model
• Change qualitative, not summative
• Change is sudden
• Whole gt sum of parts
• Model adapts to parts

5
Pendulum Swings Learning Theories and Language
Learning Theories
Communi-cative Language Teaching
Natural Approach, Task-Based Learning
Notional-Functional
Audio-lingualism
Standards-Based Curricula
6
What characterizes these paradigms?
Mechanistic Organismic
Focus Language Learner
Reading Bottom-up phonics, parts to whole Top-down whole language, whole to parts
Language Accuracy over fluency Fluency over accuracy
Syllabus Types (White) Type A Type B
7
What do they mean for the future?
CEF?
EFL?
L1?
EYL?
CLIL?
ELF?
ESL?
L2?
EIL?
EAP?
ELL?
ESP?
CBI?
ELT?
8
What is happening in the world?

• Move towards globalization people are on the
  move.
• Identity is more complex people take on multiple
  identities.
• More and more people speak multiple languages,
  affecting both identity and culture.
• Culture is permeable and dynamic, less
  nation-bound. Individuals reflect cultural
  bricolage.

9
What aspects of life have both affected and
effected these changes?

• Demographic changes
• Economy
• Technology
• Society
• Languages

10
What is happening to English?

• There is nothing likely to stop its (English)
  global spread. David Crystal
• The current wave of English may lose momentum.
  David Graddol
• Whats happening may lead to fragmentation into a
  family of languages. Tom McArthur

11
English throughout the world

• Blurring of boundaries between native and
  non-native speakers
• Close to 2 billion English language learners
• NNS 3 x NS
• Greater tolerance for NNS
• Globalization of English
• ELF English as a lingua franca
• Fewer international students
• Decrease in predominance of English on the
  Internet
• Greater need for multilingualism (English
  regional languages)

12
From Definition by Geography to Definition by
Proficiency
Inner Circle Native Speakers Outer Circle
Second Language Speakers Expanding Circle
Foreign Language Speakers (Kachru 1985)
Inner Circle Functional Nativeness Outer
Circle High Proficiency Speakers Expanding
Circle Low Proficiency Speakers (Graddol 2006)
13
Rise in World Demand for English
Graddol, D. (2006) English Next
14
English in the US

• Over 1 million immigrants per year have arrived
  in the US so far this decade.
• One in five school-aged children are children of
  immigrants.
• NCLB mandates AYP for states and districts.
• The debate over the status of English in the US
  is on.

15
School-Age Children of Immigrants
Capps, et al. (2005). The New Demography of
Americas Schools Immigration and the No Child
Left Behind Act.
16
Whats happening in Washington?
Odden, A. et al. (2006). An Evidence-based
Approach to School Finance Adequacy in Washington
17
Increases in Numbers LEP Children
Odden, A. et al. (2006). An Evidence-based
Approach to School Finance Adequacy in Washington
18
Whats happening in language teaching and
learning?

• Focus on standards-based models can-do
  objectives
• TESOL
• Common European Framework (CEF)
• Greater emphasis on foreign languages
• Europe multilingualism
• US heritage languages, immersion programs,
  bilingual education

19
and in English Teaching?

• Europe (not UK alone!)
• English literacy as a core skill must be taught
• Emphasis on EYL English for Young Learners
• CLIL Content and Language Integrated Learning
• Technology CALL and beyond
• United States
• Content-based instruction
• SES
• Technology CALL and beyond
• Rest of World
• Copycat phenomenon following either Europe or
  US, often with five to ten year lag
• Adaptations to cultural needs

20
CLIL in Europe
Eurydice. (2006). Content and Language Integrated
Learning at School in Europe.
21
Content-Based Language Instruction in the US
Language-driven
Content-driven
Met, M. Retrieved from http//www.carla.umn.edu1
6080/cobaltt/modules/
22
Technology New Tools to Enrich Teaching

• Tech-based distance learning courses
• Tech-embedded blended learning courses
• Technological Advances
• Mobile technologies
• Speech recognition
• Blogs, wikis, podcasts
• Voiceover IP
• Automatic essay graders
• Online communities of learners and teachers

23
Future Trends Teacher Training and Development

• Move from specialist to generalist
• Broader base in education
• Ability to teach wider range of age groups
• Higher comfort level with technology
• Access to technology
• Ongoing professional development courses
• Teaching of English descriptively rather than
  prescriptively
• Eclecticism awareness of changing paradigms a
  rich toolbox of ELT techniques

24
Whats on the Horizon?

• Paradigm shift the pendulum will swing towards a
  more organismic paradigm
• Use of standards allowing for differences, while
  still providing sufficient information to
  stakeholders.
• Decreased focus on general, group standards
  greater focus on the individual
• Move from legislation of teaching to focus on
  learning
• Move from centralistic control to local control

25
How Can We Prepare?

• Be eclectic.
• Read, read, read.
• Attend professional development sessions.
• Go with the flow in another ten years, the
  pendulum will swing back!

26
References

• Capps, et al. (2005). The New Demography of
  Americas Schools Immigration and the No Child
  Left Behind Act.
• Crystal, D. (2006). English worldwide. In R. Hogg
  and D. Denison (eds), A History of the English
  Language
• Crystal, D. (2006). Toward a Philosophy of
  Language Management.
• Eurydice. (2005). Foreign Language Learning A
  European Priority.
• Eurydice. (2006). Content and Language Integrated
  Learning at School in Europe.
• Graddol, D. (2006). English Next.
• Harlev, R. (2005). Content-based Learning
  Challenged Learners, Challenged Teachers,
  Language Magazine.
• Odden, A. et al. (2006). An Evidence-based
  Approach to School Finance Adequacy in
  Washington.
• Short, D.J. and Fitzsimmons, S. (2007). Double
  the Work Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring
  Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent
  English Language Learners.
• Smith, K. (2005). Assessment of Teaching in the
  Era of Standards What is Left of Teacher
  Autonomy?
• Underhill, A. (2004). Trends in English Language
  Teaching Today.

A complete list of references will be provided
upon request.
27
Thank you!
All languages are works in progress. But
Englishs globalization, unprecedented in the
history of language, will revolutionize it in
ways we can only begin to imagine. David
Crystal, Newsweek, March 7, 2005, International
Edition

• Dr. Randi Harlevrandi_at_eltconsult.com