Teacher Agency and Policy Response in English Language Teaching

The role of English in the global arena has prompted official language-in-education policymakers to adopt language education policies to enable citizens to be proficient in English and to access knowledge. Local educational contexts in different countries have implemented English education in their own ways with different pedagogical goals, motivations, features, and pedagogies.

While much of the research cited in English language planning policy has focused on macro-level language policy and planning, there is an increasing interest in micro-planning, in particular, teacher agency in policy response. Individual teacher agency is a multifaceted amalgam, not only of teachers’ individual histories, professional training, personal values, and instructional beliefs but also of how these interact with local interpretations and appropriations of policy.

Teacher Agency and Policy Response in English Language Teaching examines the agency of the teacher in negotiating educational reforms and policy changes at the local and national levels.

Chapters in the book include:

• English language teaching in China: teacher agency in response to curricular innovations
• Incorporating academic skills into EFL curriculum: teacher agency in response to global mobility challenge
• Teacher agency, the native/nonnative dichotomy, and "English Classes in English" in Japanese high schools
• Teacher-designed high stakes English language testing: washback and impact

This book will appeal to researchers across all sectors of education, in particular key stakeholders in curriculum and language planning. Those interested in the latest developments of English language teaching will also find this book a valuable resource.