Lucilla Lopriore

Promoting Awareness of Englishes and ELF in the English Language Classroom

Research on ELT textbooks has repeatedly shown that materials have traditionally tended to focus on ‘established’ and standard representations of language, most often presenting British — and to a certain extent American — Standard varieties as the sole valid exemplifications of the English language, failing ‘to acknowledge the increased use of English among non-native speakers of English’ (Matsuda 2012a: 171). This approach has contributed to the promotion of a simplified monolithic view of the English language; furthermore, given the diversification brought about by the spread of English at a global level, it has been argued (e.g. McKay 2002, 2003; Matsuda 2003, 2012b; Seidlhofer 2004, 2011; Dewey and Leung 2010) that such an approach does not adequately prepare learners for the dynamic variety and plurality they will meet as English users.

Voicing beliefs and dilemmas from WE- and ELF-aware reflective teacher education contexts

Abstract – The social fragmentation processes due to the recent tidal migration flows, together with the diffusion of technologies and social networks, have created new sociolinguistic environments where languages are undergoing a transformative process. As a result of increasing global mobility, the sociolinguistic reality of English, and its different realisations have become much more complex and controversial than those of other languages in the world. Issues of identity, standards, proficiency levels, intercultural communication and language relevance for English language learners and teachers, demand for a paradigmatic orientation and a reconsideration of the English curriculum, teacher education, research and classroom practice. Language teacher education is a field where, according to local contexts and to pedagogical traditions, different theoretical frameworks are being used, specific approaches adopted, course components differently combined, and teachers’ and trainers’ espoused theories and beliefs about English are often challenged. The purpose of this presentation is to describe and discuss a World English (WE) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)-aware approach embedded in English language teacher education courses in Italy. The adoption of such an approach elicited teachers’ awareness of changes occurring in the current status of English and induced a reflective perspective on the implications of teaching it within a moveable scenario where English teaching traditions are often challenged. The relevance of this approach will be discussed and teachers’ voices from three teacher education courses will be reported as representative of emerging dilemmas and a shift in perspective.

Reframing teaching knowledge in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): A European perspective:

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is a recent teaching approach widely adopted in numerous international contexts, especially in Europe where it was promoted as a way to promote language learning within the educational system. When implemented, CLIL predominantly involves subject content teachers using English to teach their subject. This has required the development of specific teacher education programs in Italy. This contribution illustrates how the teaching knowledge of both content and English language teachers is evolving as CLIL is implemented within Italian teacher education courses.