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English Language Education Overview

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Course Type Course Code No. Of Credits
Foundation Core NA 4

Semester and Year Offered: Semester 1

Course Coordinator and Team: Krishna K Dixit (C)

Email of course coordinator: krishnakdixit[at]aud[dot]ac[dot]in

Pre-requisites: pre-doctoral

Aims/Outline:

This module is meant to provide the scholars an opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of the domain of ELE, examine theories and approaches to teaching and learning, and reflect on the nature of teaching and learning of English in the Indian education context. It includes exploration of contextual and social nature of teaching and learning, main apparatus of ELE in terms of methods, material, and assessment, history of ELE, change and innovation phenomenon, English as medium of instruction, teacher education and teacher development, orientation to contemporary debates and discourses, raising critical awareness about learners and practitioners, etc. The overall purpose of the module is to make the scholars to revisit the domain and develop a sense of ELE tradition.

The objectives of this course are:

  • Study the contexts of ELE considering the history and current developments
  • Examine the roles of key people enacting ELE
  • Explore methods, materials, and assessment practices
  • Consider the issues and challenges
  • Identify and critical examine recent research and practice in teaching and learning and explore implications for practice
  • Evaluate change and innovation

Course Outcomes:

  • Review historical and contemporary approaches to ELE
  • Participate in debates and discussions about ELE
  • Demonstrate critical self-awareness as a learner and a practitioner
  • Develop skills in evaluation of programmes and courses
  • Identify areas for research projects which promotes professional and self-development
  • Evaluate the influence of contextual factors on educational endeavours, especially institutional influences, such as the school or college, and the changing global contexts of educational practices with reference to ELE

Brief description of modules/ Main modules:

Module 1: Contexts

This module includes a consideration of history of ELE in India and an exploration of contemporary context both at macro (global) and micro (local) levels. In history an attempt will be made to examine initiation, institutionalization and consolidation of ELE. Under the context the focus on exploring visible aspects (such as places, classrooms/institutions, region, country, part of the world) and invisible aspects (classrooms, institutions, local, national, and global cultures, expectations, aspirations, and attitudes, socio-political belief systems, power and philosophical positions, etc.). The module aims at creating a setting for a holistic understanding of the domain.

Core Readings:

  • Agnihotri, R. and Khanna, A. L. (1995). (Eds.). English Language Teaching in India: Issues and innovations. New Delhi. Sage. (Introduction and Chapter 1: English language in India: Past, Present and Future.)
  • Coleman, H. (1996). (Eds.). Society in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Durairajan, G. (2019). (Eds.). Perceptions of Language Pedagogy: N. S. Prabhu. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan. (Chapters 1.Rational approach to English teaching. 2. The teaching of English and notions about communication. 5. Communicative teaching: “Communicative” in what sense? 6. Coping with unknown in language pedagogy. 12. There is no Best method – Why? 19. Attempting educational change.)
  • Tickoo, M. L. (2012) Indian ELT at sixty plus: An essay in understanding. The Teacher Plus, 12, 1-7.

Module 2: Core Concepts I

The focus of this module is on exploring a few key concepts associated with applied linguistics in general. The purpose is to acquaint the participants with the discoursal apparatus of ELT in general. The concepts explored in this module basically deal primarily with the theory of ELT and they include interlanguage, grammars, approaches, methods, procedures in ELT, accuracy, fluency, attitudes and motivation, forms of assessment, etc.

Core Readings

  • Breen, M. P. and Candlin, C. N. (1980). The essentials of a communicative curriculum in language teaching. Applied Linguistics, 1(2), 89-112.
  • Dörnyei, Z. (2009). The Psychology of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Chapter 1: Mapping the terrain.)
  • Pennington, M. C. and Hoekje, B. J. (2014). Framing English Language Teaching. System, 46, 163-175.
  • Wright T. (2005) Classroom Management in Language Education. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Module 3: Core Concepts II

This module focuses on a set of concepts associated primarily with practice in ELT. The concepts explored in this module are targeted at facilitating a thorough understanding of practice perspective. The module will be built around some key and impactful concepts such as bilingualism, multilingualism, translingualism, techno-lingualism, classroom discourse, continuing professional development, notions of change and innovation, classroom research, to mention a few.

Core Readings

  • R. and Rossner, R. (2020). Language Education in a Changing World. Clevendon: Multilingual Matters. (Chapters. 1. The crucial role of language in education. 7. The perspectives of stakeholders in language education.)
  • Cummins, J. (1999). BICS and CALP: Clarifying the distinction. Available online https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED43855,
  • Larsen-Freeman, D. and Cameron, L. (2012). Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Chapter 1: Complexity theory: What’s it all about?)
  • Mathews, L. (2017). Mandated resistance, embodied shame: The material and affective contours of a TESOL Method. TESOL Quarterly, 52(4), 748-771.

Module 4: Emergent Themes in ELT

The module focusses on a few key emergent themes in contemporary times such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), social equity, green applied linguistics, de-centring, technology and ELT, decentering ELT, new research approaches to mention a few.

Core Readings

  • Anand, S. (1999) Sanskrit, English and Dalits. Economic and Political Weekly, July, 2053-2056.
  • Canagarajah, S. (1999). Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Chapter 2: Challenges in researching resistance.)
  • Larson-Freeman, D. and Cameron, L. (2012). Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Chapter 8: Researching complex systems in applied linguistics.)
  • Pennycook, A. (2018). Posthumanist Applied Linguistics. London: Routledge. (Chapters – 1: Introducing posthumanist applied linguistics. 8. Towards a posthumanist applied linguistic commons.)
  • Pennycook, A. and Makoni, S. (2020). Innovations and Challenges in Applied Linguistics from the Global South. London: Routledge. (Chapters: 2. The making of south in applied linguistics. 6. Challenging the northern research gaze.)
  • Seidlhofer, B. (2003). Controversies in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Section 5: The nature of applied linguistics.)

Assessment plan:

  • Analytical notes – 60%
  • The scholars will write three analytical notes around any three key concepts discussed in the course, incorporating review of relevant research literature.
  • Critical essay – 40%
  • The scholars will write a critical essay based on contextual and/or emergent issues with specific reference to English language education in the Indian context.

[*Assessment plans may be revised if necessitated by circumstances.

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