Regional Perspectives - Europe

Michael Carrier

British Council

Political landscape - UK

• 600,000 students

• $15bn income

• EAL/ESOL funding cuts

• Provision fees raised / courses cut

• Teachers made redundant

• Student visa restrictions

• Language proficiency thresholds

• High tuition fees for HE

Global ELT Market by destination

Language Travel Magazine

ELT Product development: what do clients want?

• English with a purpose

• English for Education

• EAP, EMI

• English for Work

• TVET – Vocational

• Professional

• English Plus….. experience, adventure, skills

• Expectations

• Luxury students

• Upgrade the life experience

• Accommodation upgrade

• Clarity of educational goals

• Quality management standards

• Generational shifts – ways of learning

Europe: Language learning issues

• Multilingualism

• Barcelona accord

• LWUL & reduced L1 use

• Lifelong learning

• Global citizens

• Inter-cultural dialogue

• Language & integration

• Language & identity – Hofstede et al

“Multilingualism is the normal human condition - speaking 2 or more languages is the natural way of life for three-quarters of the human race” David Crystal

IdentityLanguage

Culture

Hofstede

EYE, EBE, PELT - When should children start languages?

The age of beginning compulsory first foreign language across Europe:

- Spain - 3

- Austria - 6

- Italy - 6

- Norway - 6

- Portugal - 6

- Germany - 6-8

- France - 7

- Finland - 7

- Poland - 7

- Sweden - 7

- Czech R. - 8

- Belgium - 8

- Denmark - 9

- Hungary - 9

- Netherlands - 10

Source: Eurydice

PELT issues:

• Age of starting English

• Intensity cline of English input

• Bilingual or CLIL or EMI?

• Immersion or instruction?

• 8 models – Johnstone

• Role of L1 as medium of instruction

Germany considers scrapping English lessons

Germany is considering scrapping English classes for primary school children after a study showed no advantage in starting lessons at an early age. ……

Two thirds of the teachers consider English instruction before the age of 11 "completely redundant." "The effect of primary school English is completely nil," said Wolfgang Klein, director of the Max Planck Institute for Linguistics in the neighbouring Netherlands.

Teachers reported in the study that very young children learned many words, but not the grammar to string them together properly.

Researchers said political pressure from Berlin and the EU drove schools to adopt English for children who hadn't properly learned their own mother tongue.

EMI

• Internationalising Higher Education

• Spreading rapidly in European HE

• Entry thresholds

• Spoken English standards in HE

• Exit outcomes = lack of job-readiness

• UK conundrum

English Digital framework

New learning modes

• Online learning

• 1-to-1 learning

• Handheld learning

• Time-shifted learning – anytime, anyplace

• Synchronous / asynchronous

• Collaborative learning

• Blended learning

• Mobile learning

New pedagogic models

•2 million Classmates in India, Macedonia, Portugal, Venezuela•Classroom management•Teacher screen control•ICT pairwork

Supporting Teachers – CPD Framework

• A whole career offer

• Development pathways for all teachers

• A training offer for all stages

• Digital resources

• Global networks and communities

• Innovative ways to reach out to all teachers

1 Starting Learning the principles

2 Newly-qualified

Putting principles into practice

3 Developing Building confidence and skills

4 Proficient Demonstrating confidence, experience and reflection

5 Advanced Exemplifying good practice

6 Specialist Leading and advising

Supporting Teachers – online training/development

British Council Research

Research Partnerships with UK universities

Topics include:-

• Evaluating impact of UK teacher training courses – China

• Global survey of primary school teachers – 20+ countries

• Best practice in Teacher Development – Philippines

• Teaching dyslexic children – Singapore

• English Perspectives:- socio-economic value of English to the Arabic speaking

world

Issues in English language teaching: 2010 - 2015

• How English is integrated: Introducing English in primary schools

Bilingual education in secondary schools

English as a medium of instruction in Universities

English in the workplace

• New ways of learning: Handheld learning

Classroom technology

Digital English – extensive exposure to English input

• Raising language education standards: International CEFR curriculum standards

International testing standards

International Quality assurance systems

Further info

• www.tirfonline.org

• www.teachingenglish.org.uk

• www.learnenglish.org.uk

• Michael.carrier@britishcouncil.org