Language Education Curriculum

Milieu: Context of Developing and Implementing a Language Education Curriculum

To begin with, the commonplace of milieu, or context in which language education curriculum is developed and implemented, needs to be taken into consideration. Shifts in language education curriculum reflect demographic changes in society that include increased numbers of individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds and a heightened need for the acquisition of language for practical as well as for literary purposes. The world is becoming increasingly diverse as immigration and migration rates grow. Currently, approximately 185 million people around the world live outside their countries of birth. Within this global context, the North American population is becoming increasingly diverse through immigration and the birth of children into immigrant families. Accordingly, there is a growing need for English language education for English language learners (ELLs) to assist them in achieving sufficient fluency to participate in society and to progress through the education system, in addition to the ongoing need for English education for native English speakers to support their development of literacy. Furthermore, in a society that comprises large numbers of immigrant and minority students, language education in terms of [Page 524]maternal language development and/or maintenance needs to be acknowledged. Finally, awareness of the importance of and need for foreign or second language instruction for all students to facilitate communication in international contexts has become increasingly recognized as international travel and Internet communication have become widespread in recent decades.

Coupled with the pragmatic belief that language education curriculum needs to reflect demographic changes in society is the growing realization of the contested nature of language education in North America. There is a general perception that bilingualism and multilingualism are not as highly valued in North America as they have been in Europe. Some proponents of English-only education in North America claim a mismanagement of limited financial and educational resources as money is earmarked for English as a second language and ELL programs and programs to support the development and maintenance of maternal languages of immigrant and minority language students. At the same time, some researchers claim a denial of linguistic resources that immigrant and minority students bring to North American schools as maternal language proficiency is being overlooked and ignored to the extent of contributing to a squandering of valuable resources.

...