TRAVELLERS' TALES: THE EXPATRIATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER IN THE NEW GLOBAL CULTURE

Neilsen, Roderick Peter (2007). TRAVELLERS' TALES: THE EXPATRIATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER IN THE NEW GLOBAL CULTURE PhD Thesis, School of Education , University of Queensland.

       
Attached Files (Some files may be inaccessible until you login with your UQ eSpace credentials)
Name Description MIMEType Size Downloads
n01front_neilsen.pdf n01front_neilsen.pdf application/pdf 1.41MB 10
n02content_neilsen.pdf n02content_neilsen.pdf application/pdf 1.41MB 14
Author Neilsen, Roderick Peter
Thesis Title TRAVELLERS' TALES: THE EXPATRIATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER IN THE NEW GLOBAL CULTURE
School, Centre or Institute School of Education
Institution University of Queensland
Publication date 2007
Thesis type PhD Thesis
Supervisor Miss Christina Gitsaki
Abstract/Summary Most of the research into ELT has focused on its linguistic and methodological aspects, which are based on Western scientific traditions. The contributions and experiences of English language teachers themselves, especially their work in overseas contexts, have usually been overlooked. Native-speaking English teachers teach a world language which is contributing to the process of globalisation; therefore their work has important social and cultural ramifications. This quasi-ethnographic case study is an investigation of the lives and work of nine native-speaking English language teachers who have lived and worked outside their countries of origin for extended periods. The study aims to document the complexity of ELT as 'work' in new global economic and cultural conditions, and to explore how this complexity is realised in the everyday experiences of ELT teachers. The narratives of their experience will provide rich information on issues of culture, globalisation, and the multi-positioned nature of ELT. I begin by exploring the development of ELT from the colonial experience to its current status as a global commodity, referencing the work of Robert Phillipson and Alastair Pennycook. In order to more closely define the work of ELT, I then offer some comparisons with mainstream teaching. I explore issues of methodology in other cultural contexts, career 'paths' and cross-cultural issues. I then situate ELT in the discourses of globalisation, and explore its contribution to the process. As a framework for the case study analysis, I have applied Appadurai's theorisation of global flows of people, images, ideas, technology and money, or scapes, as a metaphor for the various dimensions of ELT. The narratives constructed from their experiences reveal much about the personal, pedagogical and cultural dimensions of ELT work in non-Centre countries. This information will be useful to ELT training programmes, and will contribute to a greater understanding of the intercultural dimensions of ELT for all those who work in it, and in related educational fields.

 
Citation counts: Google Scholar Search Google Scholar
Access Statistics: 369 Abstract Views, 24 File Downloads  -  Detailed Statistics
Created: Fri, 21 Nov 2008, 15:36:12 EST