Local Intelligence

[Admin]

My teaching context is mostly focused in private language schools or language schools associated with private universities, so public policy makers do not have much say here. In my experience within my contexts, either academic directors or teachers create the syllabi for classes, following guidelines from accreditation institutions that audit them. I'm not sure how much input is gotten from professional organization or other experts, although I agree this should be implemented. I would like to hear from someone who works in a public institution, though, and get some insight on how their curriculum is created.
I do not see any signs of "relaxation of Standard English norms" or any sort of acknowledgement of World Englishes myself. Does anyone else have any other experience in this sense?

[sameerco1971]

In my own experience, state schools face the problem of centralisation but private language schools have more flexibility to apply changing Englishes. Policy makers in private language schools are less reluctant. Therefore, I am going to start with them in my next endeavours with them in the near future. 

[Kunlong Jin]

My teaching contexts are set in both public and private schools in China. Both curriculum and English exams are supervised by the government (more specifically, need approval by the Education Ministry). So I would say, other stakeholders won't have much to say in addition to several teacher representatives. Surely, they made decisions based on voices from academics, professional organisations and experts. However, this is the drawback at this stage because we only hear from professional experts. I mean English study involves everyone. Students, teachers, parents, policy makers and people from all walks of life should engaged in the decision making OR at least take some ideas from them to have a discussion. If the current system does not change, the curriculum and exam designed are only for decision-makers' will not for the general public. Future changes are hard to carry out in some regions and countries in the world because of the politics. As teachers, we do best we can do to diversify our teaching and learning environment.

[evarojo]

In my teaching context, the Spanish public secondary schools, the curriculum set by the educational authorities is essential. In the decrees from the Spanish government and the autonomous region communicative competence and key skills play a vital role. Then, assessment in evaluation is equally important. So, in reality, teachers are faced to the singularities of our jammed classroom ands the compliance of the syllabus for the tests. Policy makers have tried to modernize it but, from my point of view, they have not succeed. We need a change, a change of mind, the focus should not be the exams but the essential skills students need to develop for their professional and private lifes.

[marian]

I have no experience in the public sector, so the decisions are taken by the authorities of the institutions where I work.

[Ulla]

The point about CLIL resonated with me. I also think that the popularity of CLIL will have an impact on the way English is seen in schools. I am curious how this will play out - I hope the outcome won't be English-as-a-school-subject vs. real-English-for-communication (in the CLIL classroom).

[Ulla]

I may be wrong, but I think the last major readjustment of what English we want to teach happened in the 1980/90s, when CLT was enshrined in the national curriculum. I don't think we have moved beyond the implicit native speaker bias of that yet.

[miabae]

As far as I know, most schools, state and private alike, stick to the UK 'standard' variety. Then there are some American English centres. The North American variety is also accessible through popular TV shows and music. I know of some Australians and Kiwis teaching at private language schools but I haven't met an awful lot of them this far.

[Anita]

Most of the he private colleges and universities in Oman are accredited to foreign universities abroad. The lecturers create their own teaching content based on the approved learning outcomes of the module descriptor. So, we have the flexibility to work on the content. However, the higher education ministries have no relaxation of Standard English norms. Future change is in the hands of the lecturers who wish to create a balance between monolithic and plurilithic approaches to teaching English.