Electronic Resource
Introduction: Future Perspectives for English Language Teaching
There is no denying that for language learning there are areas of competence which are more easily define- and testable than others, and it goes without saying that such areas should feature prominently in a common agenda for language learning and teaching. Yet, they should neither be the dominant reference point nor the main justification for language learning. Contrary to such an approach, an integrative concept is needed where training of language skills in a more narrow sense can be linked to a humanistic agenda aiming for wide-reaching forms of democratic citizenship.2 Indeed, the global dimension of English makes ELT particularly relevant to engagement with issues of intercultural and transnational import. With the help of a humanistic orientation, engagement with such issues is informed by the aim of working towards a good and just life for as many people as possible. It must be added that we are aware that humanism has become a problematic category in postcolonial debates, where it has been rightly criticized for having served Western hegemonic interests. Yet, humanism has been thoroughly reworked in the light of current socio-cultural demands to become more inclusive of ideology-critical, cross-cultural and global perspectives.
Tidak tersedia versi lain