Transcript The Postmodern Language Teacher

April 23, 2008, CREOLE, University of Bristol
Postmodernism
and TEFL:
The future of
language teaching?
Dr. Andrew E. Finch
Zeno’s arrow: Rene Magritte
Postmodern Architecture
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Postmodern Architecture
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Postmodern Architecture
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Postmodern Architecture
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Postmodern School Architecture
The postmodern campus of the new High School for the Visual and Performing Arts
(LAUSD Central High School #9) — is completely redefining a strip of Cesar Chavez at
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AM its eye-catching architecture.
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Grand
Avenue
A postmodern (self-reflexive, selfcontradictory, self-undermining) joke …
Q: What do you get when
you cross a mafia
Godfather with a
postmodernist?
A: “someone who will
make you an offer you
can’t understand.”
(Claire O’Farrell, 1999)
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The murderer threatened: Rene Magritte
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Contents
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The human condition: Rene Magritte
Introduction
Changing definitions
Changing sciences
Changing worlds
Changing educations
Changing Englishes
The way ahead?
Conclusion
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Introduction
We are faced with an entirely new situation in
which the goal of education, if we are to survive,
is the facilitation of change and learning.
The only person who is educated is the person who
has learned how to learn; the person who has
learned how to adapt and change.
(Rogers, 1969, pp. 151-153)
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Introduction
Auf-der-suche-nach-dem-absoluten:
Rene Magritte
Education “is itself going
through profound
change in terms of
purposes, content and
methods”
Education “is both a
symptom of and a
contributor to the sociocultural condition of
postmodernity”
(Edwards & Usher, 1994, p. 3).
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Introduction
Golconde: Rene Magritte
This presentation aims to identify postmodern features of
ELT theory and to relate them to postmodern society.
We can then examine implications for the future of
language teaching and learning.
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Changing Definitions
La lunette d’approche: Rene Magritte
Postmodernism resists
•• Postmodernism
is a
being conveniently
phenomenon
whose
summarized in easy
mode
is resolutely
‘soundbites’
and refuses
to lend itself to any
single
contradictory
as well
cut and dried definition
as
unavoidably
(Ward, 2003, p. 1).
political. (Hutcheon,
1989, p. 1)
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Changing Definitions
The human condition: Rene Magritte
Even
The nature,
postmodern’s initial
postmodernism
might
concern
is to de-naturalize
point
doesn’t
grow
our
wayout,
of life;
to point
out on
trees.
that
those entities that we
experience as ‘natural’
(Hutcheon,
1989,
pp. 1-2) liberal
(capitalism,
patriarchy,
humanism), are in fact
‘cultural’; made by us, not
given to us.
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•
•
•
These
Society,
developments
culture and lifestyle
have an
impact
are significantly
on our different
understanding
today from 100,of50
matters
or even
like
30 years
meaning,
ago (10
identity
years and
ago?).
even reality.
There have been huge
Old
developments
styles of analysis
in massare
media,
no
longer
the consumer
useful. New
society and
approaches
informationand
technology.
new
vocabularies need to be
created in order to
understand the present.
(Ward, 2003, p. 6)
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La Victoire: Rene Magritte
Common themes of
postmodernism
Categories of postmodernism
Crossing of borders (breaking down of barriers)
De-colonization (diversification and regionalism)
Decentralization (lateral decision-making)
Deconstruction (questioning traditional assumptions)
Eclecticism (borrowing from different systems and fields)
Pastiche (imitating the works of others, often satirically)
Relativism (time, space, truth and moral values are
relative to the persons or groups holding them)
Self-contradiction (doubleness; duplicity; the conscious
making of self-undermining statements)
Self-reference and self-reflexiveness (use of metalanguage and self-constructing forms)
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Changing sciences
Lyotard (1984), identified various
‘metanarratives’ of the ‘modern’
Age of Reason, which influenced
all Western thought:
– progress;
– optimism;
– rationality;
– the search for absolute knowledge;
– the idea that gaining knowledge
of the true self was the only
foundation for all other
knowledge (Ward, 2003, p. 9).
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Where Euclid Walked: Rene Magritte
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Changing sciences
However:
•
•
Heisenberg proposed
Einstein
developed a
his “uncertainty
cosmos
of and
relativity.
principle”
quantum
mechanics.
Gödel showed
that
The
everyFrench
mathematical
philosopher,
and scientificJacques
system
Derrida,
showed
is incomplete
andthat
there
is no
contains
itssystem,
own no
theory,
and
no
science
contradictions.
or political system
which rests on entirely
rational foundations.
•
•
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La Chateau des Pyrenees: Rene Magritte
•
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Changing sciences
The idea of benign, philanthropic scientific enquiry was found to a
myth, for a number of reasons:
–
–
–
–
the contribution of
science to ecological
disasters;
the commercialization
of science;
the loss of faith in the
ability to measure
reality;
the division of science
into a mass of
specialisms.
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Les valeurs personnelles: Rene Magritte
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Changing worlds
erosion of conventional
distinctions between high and
definitions
low culture;of human identity
are changing, or ought to
change. (Ward, 2003, p. 11).
fascination with how our lives
‘non-spaces’
of postmodern
seem increasingly
dominated
geography
(Soja, 1989)
by visual media;
questioning of ideas about
meaning, communication, and
about how signs refer to the
world;
Le sens propre II: Rene Magritte
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Changing educations
“The project of liberal
mass schooling emphasis
and
“Postmodernism’s
on
the inscribed,
decentred
higher
education
in the
subject
constructed
by
late twentieth
century
is
language, discourses, desire
built around the
and the unconscious, seems
intellectual
authority
to contradict the
very
inherited
from the and the
purpose of education
Enlightenment.”
basis of educational activity.”
Le domaine d'Arnheim: Renee Magritte
(Edwards
& Usher,
1994, p. 2)
(Peters, 1995,
p. xxx)
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Changing Attitudes
Les Amants: Rene Magritte
“The strict application of
nurturing and protective
attitudes toward children
has created a paradoxical
situation in which protection
has come to mean excluding
the young from meaningful
involvement in their own
communities.” (Postman, 1995,
p. 102)
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Changing Englishes
Le model rouge: Rene Magritte
“Teaching
“Social scientists
a language
… have
is
not a value-free,
hardly
recognizedorthe
transparent,ofactivity.
importance
theories
Whatdescriptions
and
we do in theof
classroom
society
andisculture
affected
forby
who we are,
language
teaching.”
the views
(Stern,
1983,and
p. 282)
we hold,
the
societies we are part of.”
(Harrison, 1990, p. 1)
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Modern metanarratives
Postmodern metanarratives
High-stakes, standardized
testing (Absolute
measurement; focus on the
product of learning)
Classroom-Based Assessment using
portfolios, journals, formative
self- and peer-assessment
(Relativistic focus on process;
deconstruction of the
standardized testing paradigm)
Competition (aggression,
Collaboration (Social learning,
competitive individualization,
decentralization) balanced by a
survival of the fittest, firstnew form of individualization –
past-the-post)
autonomous learning and selfaccess learning
Studying English through elitist
English literature (Strict
boundaries; restrictions of
genre)
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Learning English through popculture, comics, the internet, etc.
(Plurality of genres; crossing
boundaries; eclecticism)
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Modern metanarratives
Postmodern metanarratives
Linguistic imperialism
(Colonialism)
Postcolonialism (De-colonization Expressing local cultures through
diverse Englishes - lingua francas)
Death of the ‘native speaker’
The English ‘native-speaker’
Structural syllabi (Totalization) Task-based and project-based process
syllabi (Deconstruction of propositional language learning concepts)
Quantitative, ‘objective’
research (Absolute
measurement of rigorously
isolated, independently
observed ‘truths’)
Qualitative, subjective, action research
(Relativistic description of
perceptions; eclectic systems of
analysis of learning environments)
Behaviorist view of learning as
predictable and
independent of emotions
Recognition of affective and social
filters (language learning as social,
cultural, emotional and
unpredictable - Deconstruction)
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Modern metanarratives
Postmodern metanarratives
Standardized, Western English
(Totalization)
Regional Englishes, dialects and
pronunciations (Decentralization,
regionalization, diversification)
Linear, sequential learning,
language as code (Absolute,
grammatical ‘truths’)
Use of meta-language and learning
strategies in a non-linear learning
format (Self-reflexiveness)
Teacher-centered learning
(Centralization)
Student-centered learning
(Decentralization)
Teacher-controlled learning
(Totalization)
Student autonomy, self-directed
learning (Decentralization,
regionalism, self-reflexiveness)
Studying the culture of the target
language (Centralization,
colonialism)
Studying regional and global
cultures through the target
language (Regionalism, globalism).
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Changing Englishes
The educational context, with
the classroom at its center,
is viewed as a complex
system.
Events do not occur in linear
causal fashion.
A multitude of forces interact
in complex, self-organizing
ways, and create changes
and patterns that are part
predictable, part
unpredictable.
(Van Lier, 1996, p. 148)
The art of conversation: Rene Magritte
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Deconstruction: Questioning
traditional assumptions
i) the death of the ‘native
speaker’;
ii) the death of structuralism;
iii) the death of imperialism;
iv) the death of the ‘teacher’;
v) the death of method;
vi) The death of EFL.
La reproduction interdite:
Rene Magritte
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Re-construction: Starting anew
New births:
“The proliferation of
“If‘difference’
education can
andbe a
machine
forin
social
uncertainty
the
postmodern
far
conformity, itworld,
can also
from
being a problem,
be a machine
for the
is a constant invitation
investigation
to imagine theof new
horizons
and new
unimaginable.”
(O’Farrell, 1999, p. 17)
possibilities.”
Time transfixed: Rene Magritte
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Re-construction: Starting anew
L'entree en scene: Rene Magritte
• Content-based language
• These
teachingdeaths
(CLIL);take us to
new place
in language
• a
Immersion
programs;
and learning.
• teaching
Bilingual/Multilingual/Plurilingualare
programs;
• Here
some broad
• topics
Network-based
learning
that might
well be
(without schools);
important
in the near
• future:
Venture-learning (assisted by
companies)
• Internet-based universities
• Community learning
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A postmodern approach to
ELT/EIL/EGL/ELF/
Border Crossing
De-colonization
Decentralization
Deconstruction
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•Use of any texts (newspapers, comics,
novels, songs, films, Internet, pop).
•Content-based teaching and learning
•World Englishes
•Death of linguistic imperialism
•Death of EFL
•Regional Englishes, ELF
•Multilingual teachers from the L1
contry and culture – role-models,
•Challenging (and breaking down)
traditional assumptions about
teaching, learning, assessment, etc.
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A postmodern approach to
ELT/EIL/EGL/ELF/
Eclecticism
Pastiche
Relativism
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•Borrowing ideas from science,
sociology, psychology
•Immersion (teaching other subjects
in the target language)
•Focus on authenticity – imitating
real life situations and needs.
•No absolute truths in teaching or
assessment.
•Many different, relative truths:
learning styles, backgrounds, beliefs,
perceptions, affect, cultures.
•Classroom-based Assessment
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A postmodern approach to
ELT/EIL/EGL/ELF/
Self-contradiction
Self-reference and
Self-reflexiveness
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•Neo-liberal and neo-conservative
views on education reform .
•The modernist concept of ‘School’
•Alternative assessment
•Language learning strategies
• Self-assessment
•Peer-feedback
•Peer-assessment
•Teachers as learners
•Learners as teachers (ZPD)
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The Future
•
•
•
•
•
The British Council is
investigating how English
language teaching and
learning is already
changing due to economic
pressures, movement of
population, globalization,
etc.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research-englishnext.htm
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research-english-next.pdf
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research-futureofenglish.htm
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-elt-future.pdf
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The Future
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The Future
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The Future
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The Future
Some commentators say we are on the
verge of a learning revolution:
•
•
•
•
Instant information and interactive
technology are forcing a complete
rethink of everything we've ever
believed about education,
New interlocking networks are
creating dramatic new models for
learning
New teaching methods are
revolutionizing schooling in pockets
around the world
http://www.thelearningweb.net/
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This is not a teacher
“… through an awareness of
how we use language, how
language uses us, and what
measures are available to
clarify our knowledge of the
world we make.” (Postman,
1995, p. 87).
The Schoolmaster: Rene Magritte
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Le bouquet tout fait: Rene Magritte
Slide number 39
Thank you for your time!
• Andrew Finch can be contacted
at [email protected]
• His teaching resources are at
www.finchpark.com/courses
• His teaching books can be seen
at www.finchpark.com/books/
• This presentation (and the
handout) can be viewed at:
www.finchpark.com/ppp/
L’act de foi: Rene Magritte
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Slide number 40