Issues in EFL Graham Crookes Why EFL

Issues in EFL Graham Crookes

Why EFL? Why not just ELT, or ESL, or English Education? • EFL “countries” (particularly those outside Europe) are said to face special challenges • what are they? • The research base for L 2 teaching has been reluctant to see differences because it thinks, or used to think, of itself as being concerned with universal psychological factors

1) The “linguistic imperialism” line(s) • Phillipson • English in post-colonial countries • the association between English, empires, and international business

2) Relatedly, the BANA phenomenon • For example, me (Graham Crookes) • why are Brits and Americans still showing up all round the world, apparently telling people the way things are, or are supposed to be, concerning the teaching of English in other countries (especially ex- or post-colonical countries)?

3) Cultural psychologies? • do people from other countries or cultures think, or learn, differently? • is psychology universal, or is it “western” in origin and in its primary characteristics or findings? • “ethnopedagogies”? Are there culturally distinct ways of teaching that reflect ways of learning and which are different from the “western” traditions of school?

cultural psychology continued • topics covered in this area include cognition, perception, self-concept, motivation, memory, developmental procedures, sexuality, agency, anti-cocial behavior, and mental illness • learning is a small part of this • also see “folk psychologies” (Thomas, 2001)

4) NNS issues • One of the obvious characteristics of EFL countries is that most teachers of English in them are not “native speakers” • Is this a problem? Why, or, to what extent? • Is it still a problem?

5) Structural problems in EFL delivery systems • exams • bureaucracies • resources (lack of) • teacher-student ratio (bad, i. e. , large classes)

6) Educational innovation • one reason for considering this area is the assertion that some EFL countries have not innovated sufficiently in English Language Teaching • who says this? Is it a fair accusation? • the study of change in educational systems is an established domain of educational research • what do we know about innovation efforts in EFL contexts?

Factors that affect adoption and application of an innovation: relevance feasibility size trialability compatibility (with existing values, policies and practices) personal factors, such as resentment and resistance to externally imposed change efforts, exacerbated if no consultation; teacher support; relevant knowledge.

7) Knowledge utilization (lack of) • perhaps this is actually a general problem in education • does ELT in general make sufficient use of research findings? • elite EFL ought to be better than ESL — does it make more use of research? • or could this be “quality control” // formative evaluation?

8) EFL curricula and materials • can they be part of the solution? • or are they usually part of the problem?

9) The proprietary (or commercial) sector • cram schools, though also conversation schools • a problem (exaggeration of income-related differences in English proficiency among school-age learners) • sometimes provides good examples of what can be done

10) The educational change agent • what self-concept is developed in EFL teacher education? • what role can you play? / do you already play? • EFL teacher career paths • compromise, resistance, and moving on

The future of EFL • continuing increase in the overall average proficiency of NNS EFL teachers • and their students, more of whom will have travelled abroad • the break-up of state monopolies on education • break up of unitary state curricula • inexpensive access to keypals and internet-based native speaker tutors • the rise of local Englishes and establishment of English as a Lingua Franca not reflecting native (American or British or Australian etc) standards

Recapping the preliminary list of topics • linguistic imperialism • BANA domination of EFL • cultural psychologies • non-native speaker issues • structural problems in EFL delivery systems • educational innovation • knowledge utilization • curricula and materials • the proprietary sector

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