I’m sorry about this silence. I haven’t forgotten the course. Something unexpected happened and I can’t find the time to follow the schedule, but I’m planning to catch up. At present I’m thinking of you … Cheers.
20/01/2008 • 11:54 3
Linguistic and Teaching Context
Bee rightly raises the question of English and its changing roles across the globe. Graddol, whom she refers to, stresses an important issue which advocates of CLIL tend to sweep under the carpet: the glass ceiling university courses in English across Europe tend to create.
I keep hearing comments about secondary students’ high proficiency in English that makes some English teachers wonder what else to teach their students. It’s so easy to overlook the the great majority whose English is not so good, who speak the language with difficulty, who have literacy problems even in their mother tongue – let alone English. How would these students follow classes in English on topics they know nothing about?
I’m not worried about my job. If ESP disappears from tertiary education, I’ll teach English somewhere else. Life is a constant adjustment anyway.
What I really worry about is the fact that by allowing English become just another essential skill we will be contributing to greater inequality among people and cause marginalization of millions of young people who would have better chances in life had they had the opportunity to study in their own mother tongue. Education in one’s mother tongue is every person’s right. It is meant to open doors for development and prosperity of individuals and societies. Education systems should not create obstacles for those who don’t speak foreign languages.
UNESCO keeps a list of endangered languages and has developed a methodology for assessing language vitality. The factors they assess include:
Factor 1: Intergenerational language transmission
Factor 2: Absolute number of speakers
Factor 3: Proportion of speakers within the total population
Factor 4: Shifts in domains of language use
Factor 5: Response to new domains and media
Factor 6: Materials for language education and literacy
Factor 7: Governmental and institutional language attitudes and policies, including official status and use
Factor 8: Community member’s attitudes towards their own language
Factor 9: Type and quality of documentation
As we know, English has already become the Lingua Franca in business and science. Graddol’s study highlights shifts in governmental and institutional attitudes to English at the expense of local languages. This is a clear sign of change in the value systems of communities. I don’t think we should allow English become another universal essential skill and the Lingua Franca in education.
I think we need to have an active stance on this issue both by raising the quastion and trying to understand its complexity as well as fighting against any solutions that are discriminatory and would increase inequality among people.
Filed under: SMiELT , change, English as a lingua franca, inequality, language education, teaching context
15/01/2008 • 08:49 5
43 Things
I’ve opened an account in 43 Things and must say that I’m not really comfortable with it. I don’t like speaking about my goals and I feel no need to do so. I know where about I’m going and I guess the support I have from my husband, children, wider family and friends works fine for me.
As regards the other lists, I don’t have any particular lists of places that I’d like to visit, people to meet or things to consume. But I like travelling and experiencing new places and foods and I don’t mind meeting people. 
I guess I just prefer doing these things a lot more than writing about them.
However, I suppose my students would like 43 Things a lot more. They also need a lot of cheering up. I see the potential of 43 Things and the other lists for creating social networks among people.
13/01/2008 • 10:12 0
EVO
There’s going to be an EVO Kick-Off ceremony this afternoon over at http://webheadsinac/. I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend – I’m off to my nephew’s birthday party. It’s his 18th birthday when you officially become an adult person here in Slovenia and I just can’t miss that. Sorry.
Have fun!
Filed under: SMiELT
