It has been argued in the literature on (language) testing that any act of testing/assessment can impact: (1) educators' curriculum design; (2) teachers' teaching practices; and (3) students' learning behaviors. This quality of any given testing situation or act of assessment has been called washback, or backwash if you will. Washback falls into…

In this conceptual paper I examine how current understandings of English medium instruction (EMI) can be refined to inform language policy-making and practice in higher education. Starting from a set of EMI definitions (Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. 2020. "ROAD-MAPPING English medium education in the internationalized university." Palgrave…

On May 3, 2016, House Bill (HB) 879--the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy--was signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal and went into effect on July 1, 2016. Outside of the language education sphere, many educators and policymakers may not fully understand the benefits of studying other languages. Yet, this policy hinges on the utility of simultaneously…

This paper intends to discuss English language policies in senior secondary schools in Mainland China and Hong Kong. First, we will focus on Mainland China in tracing the development of English language planning and policy in senior secondary education in terms of English syllabus, and analyzing the pros and cons of the latest English syllabus.…

Thailand's Participation as a member of the ASEAN Community forces her government to accelerate improvement of her citizens' competency of the English language. The continuing wave by Thai governments to develop and modernize the quality of education has influenced Thai society. Within Thailand, English proficiency has been reported as being…

The development of policy in relation to language learning at the early primary level of schooling has received only limited attention in the literature on policy studies in general, and within the framework of an emerging education policy space across Europe specifically. This paper offers an introductory discussion of the growth of education…

This paper explores the implementation of China's English language policy for primary schools in the 2004-5 school year through case studies of four public schools of different types. Data were collected through document reviews, interviews, and observations. The investigation of the four schools illustrates that during 2004-5 the policy has not…

The history of the role of assessment in policy-making for languages education in Australia over the past 20 years is characterised by a complex and shifting interface between language policy, curriculum and assessment. Three phases can be identified during which significant changes occur. These highlight an ongoing struggle for legitimacy for…

Language-in-education planning is the field that exists between language policy making and the classroom curriculum. A survey of language-in-education planning in the 1980s focuses only on that part of language-in-education policy concerned with foreign language teaching and learning and areas of literacy and bilingual education. (118 references)…

Investigation into pupil voice in educational research has enjoyed a high profile over the last few years. In specific relation to foreign language (FL) research, pupils' views have been sought and studied in terms of, "inter alia," attitudes towards languages; community languages; diversification; A level choices and opting out of FL…

A discussion of language policy development focuses on the components of rational policy with reference to the Queensland (Australia) language education policy developed recently. The paper argues that language policy is ultimately derived from the nature and needs of the society, the goals identified for the future of the society, and the…

This paper proposes a comprehensive overview of the "economics of language". This field of research, which is grounded in the discipline of economics, displays a strong interdisciplinary orientation, which places it on the fringes of mainstream economics. It studies the ways in which linguistic and economic processes influence one another. It is…

Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) is a political act, and those who are engaged in teaching English to non- or limited-English speakers are directly or indirectly implementing a language policy that promotes a form of language change in students. This means that TESOL teachers are faced with certain moral dilemmas whose…

Although more money is being spent on bilingual education, legislators are becoming increasingly hostile to programs that use languages other than English. Underachievement of primarily Hispanic students is widely seen as a failure of bilingual education, despite evidence suggesting that other, largely socioeconomic factors play a significant…

The report presents a conceptual framework and related strategies designed to help policymakers and practitioners re-examine, and when necessary, rework the basic assumptions and practices defining the educational experiences of bilingual/English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners in New York City (New York) public schools. The report consists of…