ABSTRACT

Language is commonly positioned as an economic resource. Recent debates have argued that policy interpretations of language as economic resource can potentially undermine language positioning and reduce understanding of the cognitive, cultural and social benefits of language learning. In monolingual policy contexts, such a positioning means that only specific languages of immediate economic value are embraced in policy. It also means the broader educational and intercultural long-term benefits of language learning are overlooked. Economic framing also means that language teachers must continually justify the importance of their work and prove the success of their programmes. Failure is often attributed to individual learner factors rather than acknowledging wider societal and programme impacts upon learning success. This paper reports on the factors teachers have identified as essential for success as they endeavour to implement languages programmes (or courses) within challenging policy settings in two English-speaking countries. A range of programme factors emerge as essential for long-term implementation within English-speaking contexts. Above all is the need for executive staff to lead the wider school valuing of languages education for its broader benefits. For language success to move beyond isolated school contexts, policy mandates are needed to ensure more time-on-task for languages in English-speaking countries. This in turn may begin a shift towards public valuing of language learning for broader educational and intercultural benefit.

摘要

语言通常被定位为一种经济资源。最近的辩论认为，将语言作为经济资源的政策解释可能会破坏语言定位，并降低对语言学习的认知、文化和社会效益的理解。在单语政策背景下，这种定位意味着政策中只包含具有直接经济价值的特定语言。这也意味着语言学习的更广泛的教育和跨文化长期利益被忽视了。经济框架还意味着语言教师必须不断证明他们工作的重要性并证明他们的课程是成功的。失败通常归因于个人学习者因素，而不是承认更广泛的社会和项目对学习成功的影响。本文报告了教师们在两个英语国家的具有挑战性的政策环境中努力实施语言课程（或课程）时确定的成功所必需的因素。一系列计划因素对于在英语环境中的长期实施至关重要。最重要的是，行政人员需要领导更广泛的学校重视语言教育，以获得更广泛的利益。为了使语言成功超越孤立的学校环境，需要制定政策来确保英语国家的语言有更多的时间完成任务。这反过来可能会开始向公众重视语言学习的价值转变，以实现更广泛的教育和跨文化利益。