Critical issues in English language learning and teaching

Language learning and teaching occurs in diverse political, social, cultural, and economic contexts. Decisions about language teaching and learning are thus closely tied to matters of politics, society, culture, economics, identity, and power. An important challenge for language educators is to understand how practices of language teaching are connected to broader social, cultural, and political issues. This unit approaches English language learning and teaching as socially and culturally constructed practice and critically explores how issues around language, culture, and identity play out in English language curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. It focuses on key issues in the cultural politics of language education generally and English language education specifically, such as language and culture, identity and difference, globalisation and the spread of English, the emergence of World Englishes, language policy, and language rights.