This document discusses the sociocultural, political, and institutional contexts that influence second language learning. It addresses how cultural factors, educational policies, and different learning environments like ESL, EFL, content-based instruction, and bilingual programs can impact learners. The status and role of English as an international language is also examined, along with issues around native and nonnative English speaking teachers in various contexts. Guidelines are provided for creating supportive learning conditions regardless of whether instruction occurs inside or outside an English-speaking country.

1. Chapter.8
Sociocultural,
Political,
and Institutional Contexts

2. L2 learners are influenced by their learning contexts.
At the same time, L2 learners are agents who interact with the con.
FIRST
Educational policy makers
Could modify the environment for the good of the learners.
SECOND
The fact is…

3. Sociocultural, Political, Institutional
Sociocultural Context
Political Context
Institutional Context

4. Cultural contexts
• Why is understanding of culture important
for L2 learning?
- A Language is a part of a culture, and a culture is
a part of a language.
- The acquisition of L2 is also the acquisition of a
second culture.
- Whether you are teaching ESL or EFL may
have a big influence on the learners.

5. Cultural issues
• For your instruction, would you focus on cultural
diversity or more on demonstrating what western
cultures would be like?
• 1. A student’s cultural identity is often a deeply
seated bundle of emotions (expectations, ambiguity
tolerance, openness, attitudes).
• 2. Recognize the cultural connotations and nuances
of English and of L1.
• 3 & 4. Help the students to see that no one culture is
“better” than another.

6. ESL advantage?? (P.135)
• The seemingly clear dichotomy between ESL
and EFL has been considerably muddied in
recent years.
• ESL Advantages
1. The learners are exposed to English even
beyond the class hours.
2. Encourage students to seek out opportunities
for practice.
3. Plan and carry out field trips.

7. Guidelines for EFL Contexts (P.135)
1. Don’t waste class time on work that can be done
as homework.
2. Play down the role of tests and emphasize
intrinsic factors more (How?).
3. Encourage the use of learning strategies outside
class.
4. Form a language club and schedule regular
activities.

8. EIL: English as International Language
ESL EFL
English as
an international
language
Grammaticalness or correctness?

9. English as International Language
• Definition (Smith, 1976, p.17)
- “a language used by people of different nations to
communicate with one another”
• Four central features (Brutt-Griffler, 2002)
- Econocultural functions of the language
- The transcendence of the role of an elite lingua franca
- The stabilization of bilingualism
- Language change via the processes of world language
convergence and world language divergence
• NESTs/ NNESTs issue

10. NESTs
=> Native English-speaking
Teachers
NNESTs
=> Nonnative English-speaking
Teachers…

11. NESTs and NNESTs
• Do you think NESTs are still more competitive
than NNESTs in Korea?
• What advantages are there for NESTs?
- Oral Production
• What advantages are there for NNESTs?
- Experience as a L2 learner
- Pedagogical training
- R/L/W skills
- Familiarity (Affective filter)

12. Language Policy issues
• Language policies have an influence on the
students’ attitude toward learning L2.
• Koreans… very sensitive to language policy.
• The status of English in the United States
- English only vs. English plus
- College-level ESL (recent): BICS/CALP
• Can affect the status of L1
- Subtractive: When a native language is considered to
be detrimental to the learning of a second language.
- Additive: a native language is held in prestige by the
community or society.

13. Institutional Contexts
• There can be various institutional contexts
across the country.
• Schools and universities cannot exist in a social
vacuum (subject to official national language
policy issues).
• Language schools finely tuned to offer courses
with specific focus (conversation, academic
skills, ESP, and test-taking strategies).

14. Immersion (Content-based Instruction)
• Pupils attend specially designed content-area
classes (in English).
• EFL contexts
• What do you think of Content-based Instruction
as a necessary solution to our educational
problem? Don’t you think TETE (Teaching
English Through English) is enough for Korean
students?

15. Submersion
• Pupils are simply “submerged” in regular
content-area classes with no special foreign
language instruction.
• A way-out would be…if ever, a pull-out program.
– “I am desperate…!!”

16. Sheltered English
• ESL-trained teachers combine content and ESL
in every subject.
• The teacher is trained in both subject-matter
content and ESL methodology.

17. Mainstreaming
• Students first receive instruction in ESL before
being placed into content areas.
(ESL Contexts)
• This ESL instruction should be content-centered.
– “Finally! I have passed the test!!”

18. Bilingual Programs
L2
L1
Maintenance bilingual programs
(a proportion of their subject matter in L1)
Transitional bilingual programs
Enrichment bilingual programs
(Selected subjects in a foreign L)

19. Post-secondary and Adult Education
• ESL programs for social and occupational
needs.
- Survival/Social curricula, VESL (Vocational
ESL), Workplace ESL
- cf> Literacy programs
• Possible Categories of Higher Education
- EAP (English for Academic Purposes)
- ESP (English for Specific Purposes)