Situated and localised learning: examining the case of two English language teachers in multilingual settings in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

This article describes the teaching practices of two K–12 English language teachers in the Philippines at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data used in the study came from the interview of the two teachers, and a content analysis of some modules that they used. The study utilised Canagarajah’s critical pedagogy framework to describe the extent to which the teachers’ reported teaching practices, and the modules they used localised the teaching of English. Results revealed that teachers localised mostly in the level of content and strategies, but considered the language of the texts they used in the classroom to make sure that the meaning and form of the texts were accessible to their students. Moreover, localising was done only as ‘praxis’, and not as a ‘mode of inquiry’, so students were not made aware of their social positioning. Implications for curriculum design and teacher development programmes are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Situated learning
• critical pedagogy
• teaching English in multilingual settings
• English language teaching materials
• COVID-19 pandemic

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The K–12 programme refers to Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school).