This book researches the study of languages other than English, and their place in the Australian tertiary sector. Languages are discussed in the context of the histories of Australian universities, and the series of reports and surveys about languages across the second half of the twentieth century. It demonstrates how changes in the ethnic mix of society are reflected in language offerings, and how policies on languages have changed as a result of societal influences. Also discussed is the extent to which influencing factors changed over time depending on social, cultural, political and economic contexts, and the extent to which governments prioritised the promotion and funding of languages because of their perceived contribution to the national interest. The book will give readers an understanding as to whether languages have mattered to Australia in a national and international sense and how Australia’s attention to languages has been reflected in its identity and its sense of place in the world.
Despite widespread agreement about the need to develop interculturally competent graduates, there is a lack of agreement about how this goal may be achieved in practice. This is significant as universities around the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, have espoused an interculturally-aware vision for their future graduates and turned to language education, as an inherently intercultural activity, to expose students to a world which is linguistically and culturally different from their own. This book focuses on narrowing the gap between the often conflicting theoretical and practical imperatives faced by language teachers in an internationalised higher education context. It does so by providing comprehensive conceptual discussions of emerging critical intercultural language pedagogies as well as empirical accounts and case studies from the frontline.
Australia has a reputation for sustained work in language policy and has had over 20 years of experience of language policy development. During these years, language policies have sought to increase and reshape languages education in Australian schools, but have had only limited success in achieving their objectives. This means that Australia’s extensive work in language policy has not yet guaranteed a secure place for languages within education. After a period of comparative neglect of languages and multiculturalism, Australia is now entering a new phase of activity in language policy and it is timely to consider critically what has and has not been achieved to date and the reasons why. The aim of this book is to examine the current state, nature, role and purposes of languages in Australian education as a basis for considering a viable, encompassing language education policy. The book is divided into four specific focus areas for discussion, each of which is based on a core theme in Australian languages education: engaging with diversity; the current state of policy and participation in languages education and languages teacher education; current orientations to languages education, and future possibilities and directions in languages education. Underlying the discussion is the recognition that at this particular juncture in languages education policy in Australia it is necessary to re-examine constructs, research, evidence and practice as the basis for renewal. The book presents a collection of papers dealing with each of the themes and aims to give greater focus to the contemporary debates around languages in education in Australia and more generally.
The Springer International Handbook of Educational Development in Asia Pacific breaks new ground with a comprehensive, fine-grained and diverse perspective on research and education development throughout the Asia Pacific region. In 13 sections and 127 chapters, the Handbook delves into a wide spectrum of contemporary topics including educational equity and quality, language education, learning and human development, workplace learning, teacher education and professionalization, higher education organisations, citizenship and moral education, and high performing education systems. The Handbook is grounded in specific Asia Pacific contexts and scholarly traditions, using unique country-specific narratives, for example, Vietnam and Melanesia, and socio-cultural investigations through lenses such as language identity or colonisation, while offering parallel academic discourse and analyses framed by broader policy commentary from around the world.
This book examines twenty-five years of the Australian framework for student equity in higher education, A Fair Chance for All. Divided into two sections, the book reflects on the legacy of equity policy in higher education, the effectiveness of current approaches, and the likely challenges facing future policymakers. The first section explores the creation of the framework, including the major elements of the policy, the political context of its development, and how it compares with international models developed during the same period. The performance of the six student equity groups identified within the framework is also examined. The second section of the book considers future trends and challenges. The Australian university sector has undergone seismic change in the past twenty-five years and faces further changes of equal magnitude. The twenty-fifth anniversary of A Fair Chance for All comes as Australian higher education is poised for another wave of transformation, with rising expansion, competition, and stratification. While the emerging landscape is new, the questions have changed little since A Fair Chance for All was first conceived: How should we define student equity, and what policies are likely to promote it?
This volume offers the most comprehensive, up-to-date description of the wide array of second language programs currently available to undergraduate students in the United States and abroad. It brings together, for the first time, detailed descriptions of programs in foreign language, English as a second language (ESL), dual language (bilingual), American Sign Language, Native American, and heritage languages. Addressing both theory and practice, the volume presents the historical development, current practices, and future directions of each type of program, along with detailed case studies. For second language teachers, academic administrators, and teacher educators, this Handbook provides information that will be useful in making instructional and programmatic planning decisions.
This book is a timely comparison of the divergent worlds of policy implementation and policy ambition, the messy, often contradictory here-and-now reality of languages in schools and the sharp-edged, shiny, future-oriented representation of languages in policy. Two deep rooted tendencies in Australian political and social life, multiculturalism and Asian regionalism, are represented as key phases in the country’s experimentation with language education planning. Presenting data from a five year ethnographic study combined with a 40 year span of policy analysis, this volume is a rare book length treatment of the chasm between imagined policy and its experienced delivery, and will provide insights that policymakers around the world can draw on.
The authors examine the continuing poor relationship between boys and the study of foreign languages. Framed by discussion of gender socialization, gendered curriculum practices and cultural narratives about boys and schooling, the core of the book is constructed by boys themselves.
The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English as an International Language provides a ground-breaking overview of the research on the global spread of English with pedagogical implications. Bringing together a number of key scholars and scholarly discussions on various aspects of teaching English as an International Language (TEIL), this handbook directs research in this field to help inform the much-needed paradigm shift in ELT away from idealized native English-speaking norms. Reframing English language, language teaching, and teacher education to match the new sociolinguistic landscape of the 21st century, this handbook analyzes this topic in seven key areas: Theoretical considerations Major frameworks and proposals Principles and practices of teaching and assessing English Innovative approaches, varied contexts, and transformative practices Diverse teaching settings and populations Teacher education and professional development Research developments and future directions The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English as an International Language is essential reading for scholars and students researching in the areas of World Englishes, English as a lingua franca, English as an international language, Global Englishes, ELT, sociolinguistics, and critical applied linguistics.
The Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region on the globe and universities and higher education is experiencing a dramatic surge in demand and a reform by governments wanting higher education to drive change. This edited collection has contributions from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, China and the United States looks at how universities are coming to grips with the challenges of change in the Asia Pacific. The contributors explore the key in issues and dilemmas about how universities in the Asia Pacific are involved in international trans-national markets and at the same time retain a role as nation building institutes. The book also explores how globalisation and new technologies as well as new frameworks of professional knowledge are creating new challenges for the institutions of higher education. Hot topics include the role of universities in nation building, international markets in higher education, international collaborations and partnerships, governance in universities, quality in offshore programs, professional learning and universities, student plagiarism, academic careers for women, international students and language proficiency and language use in multicultural universities. Contributors include Michael Singh, Peter Kell, Gillian Vogl, Tony Herrington from Australia. Mary Kalantzis from the United States. Morshidi Sirat, Abdul Razak Ahmad, Sarjit Kuar Koo Yew Lie, Vincent Pang and Rozinah Jamaludin from Malaysia and Michelle Lunn from New Zealand and Yuping Wang from China. "Higher Education in the Asia Pacific: Challenges for the Future fills a vacuum in the literature on the changing nature of tertiary education with this insightful book. Arguably, we are experiencing the most dynamic change in academic life in a century and these authors discuss these changes in multiple contexts in Asia. The text investigates a veritable cornucopia of topics - the relationship between the state and the university, the nature of international collaboration, how university governance is being restructured, and the import of quality assurance, to name a few. This is a smart read on critical topics in an area that has been little studied but facing explosive growth." —William G. Tierney, University Professor & Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education, Director, Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis, University of Southern California, WPH701, Los Angeles, CA 90089-4037 "Expansive in outreach and grounded in practical experience, this edited collection presents a rich variety of expert practitioners reflecting on the many issues shaping current and future trends in Higher Education in the Asia Pacific Region. The wide ranging issues addressed in this book offers the reader both insights and challenges in their quest to explore further and articulate the essential elements of authentic International Higher Education. An excellent resources for all involved with and concerned about Global Higher Education and its future directions." —Andrew Scown, Vice President - Academic, RMIT International University Vietnam
