ERIC Number: EJ863479
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Nov
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0005-3503
EISSN: N/A
Language Teaching and Learning: Choice, Pedagogy, Rationale and Goals
Lo Bianco, Joseph
Babel, v44 n1 p24-35 Nov 2009
In his examination of successful innovation and change in education in many settings, Fullan (2001) identifies the three broad options for effecting change that public authorities have at their disposal. They can seek to bring about change through imposing accountability (system-wide or targeted), or through providing incentives (either "negatively" as pressure or "positively" as support), or they can direct their attention towards "capacity-building" for key agents in the field being addressed, such as teachers, schools or universities. The review of Australian language policy shows that rarely has there been a consistent process of building on previous innovation and rarely are these three meta-strategies of accountability, incentives and capacity-building used in the judicious combination which is most likely to succeed. A central feature of education policy making is the critical, professional role of teachers and it would be to this that a capacity-building approach would be directed. This article discusses choice, pedagogy, rationale and goals in language teaching and learning. Key values and aspirations for proficiency in languages other than English relevant to the Australian context are also explored. ["Language Teaching and Learning: Choice, Pedagogy, Rationale and Goals" was written with Yvette Slaughter.]
Descriptors: Policy Formation, Language Planning, Innovation, Accountability, Language Proficiency, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Educational Change, Foreign Countries, Incentives, Teacher Role, Teaching Methods, Immersion Programs, Language Teachers
Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations. Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Tel: +61-29351-2022; e-mail: president@afmlta.asn.au; e-mail: editor@afmlta.asn.au; Web site: http://www.afmlta.asn.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A