Language Policy across the Curriculum

Frank Nuessel, David Corson

Modern Language Journal · 1991 · 164 citations · 0 references

Concepts

TL;DR

Language policy across the curriculum is shaped by diverse social and cultural contexts, national language policies, and the evolving role of language in education. The study examines foreign‑language teaching policy items that emphasize communicative competence and cultural studies within the curriculum. The authors conducted large‑scale LPAC research gathering teacher attitudes and stereotypes, analyzed school‑level policy making processes, and examined bilingualism and second‑language teaching approaches across the curriculum. The findings highlight that language policy intersects with social justice, revealing critical language awareness, bilingualism, gender dynamics, and differential treatment in education.

Abstract

Part 1 Language policy across the curriculum: the diverse social and cultural contexts of modern schools. Part 2 Language planning in education: two directions in the sociology of language language planning. Part 3 Fact gathering for language policies across the curriculum: larger scale LPAC research large scale research methods teacher attitudes and stereotypes small scale LPAC fact gathering. Part 4 Policy making at school level: school policy, organizational theory and the ethics of school management teacher's personal realities, participation and commitment school policy making as a language activity a policy about policy making applying the stages of a social epistemology to school policy development stages in policy making. Part 5 Language across the curriculum (LAC): the meaning and place of language across the curriculum LAC's focus - the role of language in learning the teacher's role in language across the curriculum working with the below average and with mainstreamed children changing teacher attitudes - professional development and LAC assessing competence and mother tongue testing the development of reading - of writing watching and moving - improvisation and role play shaping and viewing - the media and other creative arts oral language across the curriculum extending language awareness. Part 6 National language policies, language projects and LPACs: language minorities language problems and policy in a pluralist society - Australia a policy for multiculturalism and language - Canada a successful indigenous language struggle - New Zealand language policy in a multinational/multilingual state - the USSR the majority language in a national policy the role of the schools. Part 7 Bilingualism and second language teaching (SLT) across the curriculum: bilingualism and bilingual education approaches to bilingual schooling - majority first language speakers - minority first language speakers variable factors in bilingual programmes for minority children bilingualism and minority first language maintenance - policy issues second language teaching and learning school organization for SLT the cultural characteristic of SL minority groups approaches to teaching an SL - assessing SL proficiency resources and materials for SLT. Part 8 FLT FLT policy items communicative competence and FLT cultural studies across the curriculum. Part 9 Social justice issues and language policy: language, education and power critical language awareness bilingualism and social justice gender, language and education differential treatment. Part 10 Concluding summary - what an LPAC might contain.