English as an additional language: a close-to-practice view of teacher professional knowledge and professionalism

Abstract

English as an Additional Language (EAL) as a professional discipline is a significant component of public education, and a main educational response to the growing ethno-linguistic diversities in many English-speaking countries. In this article I will focus on the ways in which professional language teacher knowledge has changed over time, paying particular attention to the disciplinary content bases, and the likely influences of current research in language education and applied linguistics on our understanding of EAL pedagogy. The overall purpose is to provide a view on the likely ‘assemblage’ of professional knowledge and skills informing EAL practice in light of the continuously evolving professional sensibilities and disciplinary concerns, and its implications for the principal components underlying the development of teacher professionalism.

Keywords:

• English as additional/second language
• language teacher education
• teacher professionalism
• plurilingual mediation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The ‘professionalism’ component of this Standard mainly deals with working relationships with colleagues. Student teachers are also asked to reflect on their own conduct for self-improvement and to collaborate with others.

2 The acronym ‘ESOL’ is not glossed in the document. In context it would be safe to assume that it refers to English speakers of other languages.

3 Fillmore, L. W., & Snow, C. E. (2000, August 23). What teachers need to know about language, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED444379

4 A preliminary version of the CEFR Companion Volume was first released in 2018. For accurate textual referencing, the 2020 edition is used here.

5 The CEFR distinguishes between multilingualism and plurilingualism: ‘… multilingualism … is the knowledge of a number of languages, or the co-existence of different languages in society … the plurilingual approach emphasizes the fact that as an individual person’s experience of language in its cultural context s expands, from the language of the home to that of society at large and then to the languages of other people…’ (Council of Europe 2001:4).

6 The term ‘informal situations’ is used here to indicate that the kind of mediation involved here in ‘not concerned with the activities of professional interpreters’, e.g. professional interpretation in a court hearing (Council of Europe 2020:115).

7 The CEFR levels are meant to be illustrative of the knowledge and skills involved. They are intended to be used as reference points for local curriculum, teaching and assessment adaptation as appropriate.

8 The ‘+’ sign is attached to the descriptor that appears in the upper division whenever a level is illustrated by two descriptors, referred to as plus descriptor. The other (lower) descriptor is known as criterion descriptor.