Toward A More Critical Orientation to ELT in Southeast Asia

Toh, Glenn

doi:10.1111/j.1467-971x.2003.00318.x

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Most significantly, the design and practice of English language teaching in, for, and from conflict zones—as elsewhere—should not be concerned solely with linguistic objectives in a narrow decontextualized sense, but rather should equip students for critical communicative engagement with events occurring in the world outside the classroom and in the wider sociopolitical sphere (see Appleby, 2005/2006, ; Coleman, ; MacPherson, ; Toh, ). Although any teaching ideas must be tailored to suit the particular geo‐region, education level, learning needs, and so on, in the following paragraphs we suggest a few macro‐strategies (borrowing a concept from Kumaravadivelu, ).…”

Section: Pedagogic Approaches and Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict, Militarization, and Their After-Effects: Key Challenges for TESOL

Nelson

Appleby

2014

TESOL Q

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Skyrocketing military spending, ongoing military conflicts, and human displacement worldwide have significant consequences for the teaching and learning of English. TESOL increasingly requires a robust research base that can provide informed, critical guidance in preparing English language teachers for work in and near conflict zones, for teaching refugees and asylum seekers, and, more broadly, for teaching English in highly militarized times. This investigation, which takes the form of a transdisciplinary, translocal literature review, consolidates and extends TESOL's peace-conflict studies through a close examination of two areas that are connected but rarely considered in tandem: TESOL's multiple involvements and entanglements in armed and militarized conflicts and their aftermath, and the challenges of teaching English in a conflict zone or for students who have escaped or been exiled from one. Implications for pedagogy and further research are suggested. The argument is, in short, that the dialectical relationship between TESOL and conflict is in urgent need of collegial scrutiny, that teachers need to be equipped to facilitate critical and creative engagement with English not apart from broader sociopolitical realities but in relation to these, and that the implications of conflict for language learning are relevant across the wider TESOL community, given world developments.

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Section: Pedagogic Approaches and Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict, Militarization, and Their After-Effects: Key Challenges for TESOL

Nelson

Appleby

2014

TESOL Q

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“…Pakir who reviewed research on Englishes in Southeast Asia, stated that "scholars in Southeast Asia are now paying attention to the research implications of a shift in paradigm and are investigating features associated with new Englishes, [and] analysing mutual intelligibility and communication in English among Association of Southeast Asian Nations users…" (Pakir, 2010, p. 329). It is in this context that Toh (2003) views mere communicative language education as insufficient and calls for adding a more critical dimension to the ELT policies and practices in Southeast Asian countries.…”

Section: Ideology-informed Elt Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Issues of ideology in English language education worldwide: an overview

Mirhosseini

2017

Pedagogy, Culture & Society

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The relatively limited consideration of ideology in mainstream theory and research of teaching the English language to speakers of other languages has arguably prevented the problematization of many taken-for-granted perceptions and practices of the field. In this article I attempt to bring part of this marginalized body of scholarship on issues of ideology in the area of English language teaching (ELT) to highlight its potential insights for the field. The article sets out from a view of ideology as the most fundamental beliefs in any social practice, which may provide a less-formidable conception of the term and lessen the divergence among the minority of ELT researchers and professionals that do concern themselves with ideology. Then, after a brief sketch of the notion of ideology of language (education), I present an overview of aspects of this marginal but vibrant stream of thought on issues of ideology in ELT worldwide. Overall, the discussion is aimed to act as a call for the further understanding and embracement of sociopolitically-sensitive and ideologically-informed approaches to ELT theory, research, and practice.

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“…Formal English language education takes place through state schooling, private sector bilingual and international schools, and commercial language schools. However, as Toh (2003) points out, the notion often underpinning the expansion of English, that English can be used to communicate with the rest of the world and to take advantage of what it has on offer, needs greater scrutiny in SE Asia. Nunan (2003) examined English language educational policies and practice in the Asia-Pacific region based on data collected from academics, teachers, ministry officials, and publishers.…”

Section: English Language Teaching In Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead, materials that favour local multilingual and multicultural societies and their economic ends need to be developed from within the region. Toh (2003) takes a more pragmatic approach, believing that in developing countries in Indo-China materials and training will inevitably be 'imported' from wealthier donor countries, in particular the BANA (Britain and North America) countries. However, he suggests that taking a critical approach to imported ELT materials can serve local teachers well in determining the benefits of such materials to their own situations.…”

Section: English Language Teaching In Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Examination of ELT in Thailand

Baker

2008

RELC Journal

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With the increasingly significant role that English language teaching (ELT) is playing in Asian contexts, it is important to gain a better understanding of the use of English as a medium of intercultural communication in Asia. In doing so, ELT practices may be better able to adapt themselves to the intercultural communicative needs of local contexts. This paper argues that an essential element in fostering successful intercultural communication is developing cultural awareness as part of ELT pedagogy. To illustrate this, a case study of Thailand is presented examining English use, English teaching policy and practice, and local cultural attitudes towards ELT. This then leads to suggestions on how locally relevant intercultural communicative practices can form part of ELT classroom pedagogy in Thailand with the aim of developing learners' cultural awareness. It is argued that similar analyses may be applied to other Asian contexts, which may share features with the Thai context. This can lead to the development of teaching practices, which through engaging learners in intercultural reflection will result in English language users who are better able to manage intercultural communication through English.

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Toward A More Critical Orientation to ELT in Southeast Asia

Cited by 15 publications

References 10 publications

Conflict, Militarization, and Their After-Effects: Key Challenges for TESOL

Conflict, Militarization, and Their After-Effects: Key Challenges for TESOL

Issues of ideology in English language education worldwide: an overview

A Critical Examination of ELT in Thailand

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