The School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at the Open University (OU) radically re-designed its modern languages curriculum in 2014, launching its first suite of new modules in 2017. The institution as a whole has since also developed a new employability framework. Our paper describes the principles underpinning the design of the new…

Reading is an important skill in learning English. However, reading class is not emphasized in some primary schools in China, and there are various problems with the reading activities, which inadequately just focus on teaching of words, sentences separately from texts. This paper aims to bring out a whole system of principles in designing…

The teaching of English as a second language (ESL) to adult learners in the 21st century focuses on a combination of oral and written skills geared toward success in a variety of settings, including the workplace and post-secondary institutions. The study was intended to determine if specific curricular components recommended for syllabus design,…

This qualitative design based research study examined the Connected Learning theoretical framework coupled with academic language scaffolds for Long Term English Learners (LTELs) in a secondary public school setting. The participants of this study were students that have been in the United States for more than six years and have yet to be…

The "intercultural turn" of the 1990s brought about the introduction of the terms "Foreign Language Education" and "Intercultural Foreign Language Education" (IFLE) in place of "language teaching". These terms broaden the aims of language education to include students' intercultural competence (IC),…

A curriculum is a form of politics (Apple, 1993). The politics of a curriculum defines what is legitimate and valued and what is not. In Taiwan, the objectives of vocational high school (VHS) education are to prepare students to acquire relevant professional knowledge and practical skills and to integrate them into their future career development.…

Teachers in various contexts worldwide are sometimes unfairly criticized for not putting teaching methods developed for the well-resourced classrooms of Western countries into practice. Factors such as the teachers' "misconceptualizations" of "imported" methods, including Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), are often blamed,…

In order to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" the European Union realizes its people as the most important asset. Moreover, every human becomes a value for the whole society. It makes significant to…

Addresses issues involved in the acquisition of English as a foreign language (EFL) outside of the classroom and the conflict this often creates with English learned within the classroom. Some suggestions for development of future EFL syllabi are made to ensure the creation of effective, relevant resources. (Author/CB)