Abstract

This book investigates new English language policies and initiatives which have been introduced and implemented across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela. Chapters are organized around three themes. Chapters in the first section critically examine newly-implemented English language policies, as well as factors that contribute to and prevent the implementation of such policies. Chapters in the second section describe and analyze current teacher preparation and teacher development initiatives, in addition to the challenges and opportunities associated with such initiatives. Finally, the third section features school- and classroom-based research designed to investigate the status of English language teaching and the implementation of innovative programs. All authors have a first-hand understanding of the South American context and draw on references and resources which originate beyond Inner Circle countries. The book showcases examples of innovation and success in a variety of complex contexts and will serve as a starting point for researchers, as well as being of interest to students, policymakers and stakeholders.

Lía D. Kamhi-Stein is Professor in the MA in TESOL Program at California State University, Los Angeles, USA. She has published extensively on issues of non-native English-speaking professionals. She is the recipient of several teaching awards.

Gabriel Díaz Maggioli is tenured Professor of TESOL Methods at the National Teacher Education College in Montevideo, Uruguay. He also acts as consultant in education-related projects for various organizations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and East Asia.

Luciana C. de Oliveira is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Miami, Florida, USA. She is the President-Elect (2017-2018) of TESOL International Association.

I am excited about this much-needed volume on English language teaching in South America. The chapters are written by extremely knowledgeable authors and cover an impressive range of topics of current interest to researchers, teacher educators, policymakers, and teachers who work in South America, as well as English language teachers in other countries that receive students and immigrants from South America.

This edited volume is a commendable effort to describe and analyse the ELT processes in South America through examination of policies, teacher education, and research.
We, South American educators should celebrate this book together with other recent publications from the southern cone because they are channeling our stories and experiences and allow us to share them with the international English-speaking community.

Covering several countries in South America, this collaborative book raises important pedagogical issues, discusses teacher preparation, and clarifies educational policies within this very rich but often forgotten region of the world. An enlightening read for those interested in education, culture, language policy, TESOL, sociolinguistics, and so many related fields.

A most welcome book! Set in the context of teaching English to Spanish and Portuguese speakers across South America, it explores and evaluates important innovations over the recent past. The chapters probe salient changes based on a wide range of innovative research, emerging in teacher-training as well as in language teaching and learning across a variety of settings.