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The Politics of English Language Teaching

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Language Policy and Political Issues in Education

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Language and Education ((ELE))

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Abstract

This chapter summarizes more than three decades of scholarship on the politics of English language teaching (ELT) by outlining and describing early developments, major contributions, selected works in progress, some current problems and difficulties, and potential future directions for research. The chapter endeavors to introduce those who are new to the topic to key scholars and their work while also providing an overview to those more familiar with the research. The work discussed here has facilitated English language teachers’ critical understanding of the social, political, ideological, historical, and economic dimensions of the various processes, policies, and practices associated with ELT. It has also inspired a good amount of research, productive debate, and theory building among both scholars and practitioners. The chapter concludes by urging English language teachers, applied linguists, and educational researchers to continue advancing our collective knowledge and critical understanding of the complicated dynamics involved in ELT in order to pursue advocacy on behalf of individuals, families, and communities who are engaged with English language teaching or learning.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 870302, Tempe, AZ, 85287-0302, USA

    Doris S. Warriner

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  1. Doris S. Warriner
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Correspondence to Doris S. Warriner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Teresa L. McCarty

  2. Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stephen May

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Warriner, D.S. (2017). The Politics of English Language Teaching. In: McCarty, T., May, S. (eds) Language Policy and Political Issues in Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02344-1_16

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