Defining "English" & "English Education"

When one teaches English, it becomes more than a language. English is a way of life reflected through teaching. There are bigger and deeper questions regarding English today. How one defines English, then, is crucial for how one will teach it.

We will devote the first sessions of our class to discuss those two terms, English and English Education. Definitions for these two terms come in all shapes and sizes. We will use as starting point, three statements from professional associations:

1. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) – Position Statement on Teaching English as a Foreign or Additional Language to Young Learners

2. TESOL – Position Paper on language and literacy development for young English Language Learners (ages 3-8)

3. NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) – What is English Education? (from the Conference on English Education)

After reading these statements, the question is: How do you define “English”? “English Education”? Make sure to write your working definitions in the comments, based on what we read in class and our discussions.

Welcome to CACNII Blog

This blog will share the work of my students in the course Content Area Conditions & Nature II: English.

We will share our thoughts about what it means to be a teacher in Colombia, the standards and guidelines that operate in Colombia, and everything it takes to be a great English teacher.

All comments in this blog are the scholarly and personal opinions of my students and me.