Unauthorized Outlooks On Second Languages Education And Policies

This edited book presents a critical vision of language and education policies and practices in Colombia, examining neoliberal perspectives which influence the promotion of English at all levels in the Colombian educational system. Some of the chapters emphasize questions of language teacher recognition and empowerment, while others focus on both teachers and students’ visions of national policies, particularly with regard to colonial and Eurocentric discourses and subsequent discriminatory practices. The volume throws light on recent language and education policies and practices in a South American country where much current research in this area is published in Spanish but not in English, and it gives visibility to voices that are often missing from the global conversation around English language teaching (ELT). Making these voices heard is part of a decolonial project that gives legitimacy to "unauthorized outlooks", embodies knowledge, and focuses on presenting alternatives to second language teaching-learning and research practices from the Global North ontoepistemology. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of ELT, Language Policies and Planning, Applied Linguistics, and Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies. It also has international appeal, as its localized gaze can bring about important considerations regarding other local knowledges.

How do language policies in education serve the interests of dominant groups within societies? How do policies marginalize some students while granting privilege to others? How do language policies in schools create inequalities among learners? How can schools further the educational, social, and economic interests of linguistic minorities? These questions--the focus of the chapters in this book-- are at the heart of fundamental debates about the role of schools in society; the links between language policies and inequalities of class, region, and ethnicity/nationality; and conflicts between linguistic minorities and "mainstream" populations. The connections between language policies and inequality are examined, as well as successful efforts to use language policies in education to assert the social and linguistic rights of language minorities. *All of the chapters are original and substantial contributions to the study of language policy and exemplify major theories and research methods in the field. *The case studies are international in scope, including cutting-edge analyses of important language policy debates in North America, Australia, Eastern Europe, Africa, East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific. *The multiple meanings of criticallanguage policy study are highlighted. First, the term refers to the field of critical linguistics. Second, the book seeks to develop readers' ability to critically "read" language policies--that is, to understand the social and political implications of particular policies adopted in specific historical contexts. Third, it features chapters that are critical of traditional analyses that fail to capture the full social and political context of language policies and too often accept uncritically the claims of policy. *Sections are included on theoretical issues in language policies; the use of language policy for governance; the role of language policy in managing ethnic conflict; the link between language and globalization; and the impact of critical pedagogy on social change. This volume is intended for scholars and other specialists in language policy, education, applied linguistics, critical linguistics, and language teaching. It is designed for use as a textbook in graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on language policy and language education.

This book is a defense of linguistic pluralism and language policies and practices in education that sustain that ideal. Educational meanings and models are influenced by different populations and different social and historical contexts. International comparisons can shed interesting light on the issues. Therefore, the purpose of the book is to provide scholars an international comparative understanding of language policy, its relation to educational practice, and current debates within the field. The book is divided into three sections dealing with the general topical areas of policy, practice, and controversy. This book will be of interest to policy-makers, scholars, and graduate students in the areas of bilingual education, language policy, and sociolinguistics.

Provides school administrators and teachers a practical approach for dealing with the language problems that confront modern schools in pluralist contexts. Incorporates up-to-date language plans from North American schools.

Adult Language Education and Migration: Challenging Agendas in Policy and Practice provides a lively and critical examination of policy and practice in language education for adult migrants around the world, showing how opportunities for learning the language of a new country both shape and are shaped by policy moves. Language policies for migrants are often controversial and hotly contested, but at the same time innovative teaching practices are emerging in response to the language learning needs of today’s mobile populations. This book: analyses and challenges language education policies relating to adult migrants in nine countries; provides a comparative study with separate chapters on policy and practice in each country; focuses on Australia, Canada, Spain (Catalonia), Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. Adult Language Education and Migration is essential reading for practitioners, students and researchers working in the area of language education in migration contexts.

The issue of social justice has been brought to the forefront of society within recent years, and educational institutions have become an integral part of this critical conversation. Classroom settings are expected to take part in the promotion of inclusive practices and the development of culturally proficient environments that provide equal and effective education for all students regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, and disability, as well as from all walks of life. The scope of these practices finds itself rooted in curriculum, teacher preparation, teaching practices, and pedagogy in all educational environments. Diversity within school administrations, teachers, and students has led to the need for socially just practices to become the norm for the progression and advancement of education worldwide. In a modern society that is fighting for the equal treatment of all individuals, the classroom must be a topic of discussion as it stands as a root of the problem and can be a major step in the right direction moving forward. Research Anthology on Instilling Social Justice in the Classroom is a comprehensive reference source that provides an overview of social justice and its role in education ranging from concepts and theories for inclusivity, tools, and technologies for teaching diverse students, and the implications of having culturally competent and diverse classrooms. The chapters dive deeper into the curriculum choices, teaching theories, and student experience as teachers strive to instill social justice learning methods within their classrooms. These topics span a wide range of subjects from STEM to language arts, and within all types of climates: PK-12, higher education, online or in-person instruction, and classrooms across the globe. This book is ideal for in-service and preservice teachers, administrators, social justice researchers, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how social justice is currently being implemented in all aspects of education.

The Handbook of Critical Approaches to Politics and Policy of Education provides a broad overview of educational policy and politics from critical perspectives engaging with both foundational and cutting edge topics. In critical perspectives, educational policy debates and programs for reform are about more than narrow questions of efficacy say to raise test scores or for simply more educational inclusion, fairer school spending, or even cultural responsiveness. Rather, policy and reform debates represent contested visions for schools and society by social groups vying for hegemony. Critical approaches to educational policy and politics see schooling and education more broadly as contested terrain in which competing visions for education are imbricated with the material and symbolic interests and cultural ideologies of different classes and cultural groups. Chapters in this volume are organized into five sections. The first three sections provide a foundational overview to educational policy and politics, covering culture and politics of education, political economy of education, and subjectivity and education. These chapters address longstanding and current policy and political debates as well as foundational theoretical debates. The last two sections are organized around two themes that address some of the most significant recent directions of educational politics and policy: disaster politics and technology.

​This unique account of English language acquisition by Latino elders shines intimate light on the increasingly complex concerns of aging immigrant minority populations. Rich qualitative findings detail sociocultural barriers to and social and emotive factors that promote second language acquisition in older age. The book’s case study highlights diverse cognitive and social processes as elders establish a sense of self as learners and as part of a learning community, and a sense of place as newcomers navigating a challenging environment. And first-person comments from the group members deftly illustrate the intricacies of being an immigrant in a rapidly changing America as well as the myriad intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, culture, and country that shape immigrant life. Included in the coverage: Minority aging in an immigrant context. Late-life second language acquisition: cognitive and psycholinguistic changes, challenges, and opportunities. Building emotions for self-identity and learning. Practicing safe language socialization in private and public spaces. Language resocialization and gender allies. Aging, second language acquisition, and health. Aging in a Second Language gives clinical social workers, gerontologists, health and cross-cultural psychologists, sociologists, educators and other professionals deep insights into the lives of an emerging active elder population. It also pinpoints challenges and opportunities in research, literacy program design, pedagogy, clinical outreach, education policy, and service delivery to immigrant elders.