English Language Policy in Relation to Teachers and Teacher Educators in Latvia: Insights from Activity Systems Analysis

Tatjana Bicjutko,Līva Goba-Medne

doi:10.15388/actpaed.45.4

Abstract

The ambitious objectives of European language policy and the strive for competitiveness have led to an increasing emphasis on foreign language competence at the level of national education systems. Using Spolsky’s onion model of language policy (2004) and Engeström’s Expansive Learning theory (1987, 2008), the study attempts to determine the formative influence of the existing multilayered language policy on the professional development of Latvian educators with the aim to compare the situation for teachers and teacher educators in respect of their English language proficiency.Given the prioritisation of English and strategic differences in foreign language management in relation to teachers and faculty, the activity systems analysis points to significantly higher demands and concomitant pressure in respect of English language competence of academic staff, and the lack of incentives to increase their proficiency for teachers. Remedying the existing situation through policy making, both systemic and individual perspectives should be taken into account, as their interplay affects the agency of educators in achieving the goals.

Highlights

With its proverbial recommendation of “teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age” (EC, 2002, p. 19), European policy of multilingualism places a steadily growing emphasis on multilingual competencies and foreign language skills as a competitive advantage in the context of global competition (Leech, 2017)
Primed by the study of European and national strategic and regulatory documents, the bifurcated activity systems analysis conducted to examine how the EU foreign language policy eventually impacts the development of English language proficiency of teachers and teacher educators allows for a number of conclusions, warnings and tentative recommendations
In Latvia, HE language management is in search of a compromise between a protectionist language policy and rampant internationalisation

Summary

Introduction

With its proverbial recommendation of “teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age” (EC, 2002, p. 19), European policy of multilingualism places a steadily growing emphasis on multilingual competencies and foreign language skills as a competitive advantage in the context of global competition (Leech, 2017). 19), European policy of multilingualism places a steadily growing emphasis on multilingual competencies and foreign language skills as a competitive advantage in the context of global competition (Leech, 2017). Another circumstance is that even after Brexit, English still maintains its linguistic hegemony (Trajectory Partnership, 2018), and its leading position as the first foreign language over the European Union was convincingly protocoled in a proposal for a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages (EC, 2018b) as well as adopted by the education ministers at the Council meeting in Brussels (EC, 2019).

Research methods and procedure

Conclusion