Implicit Curriculum

Abstract

English as an international language (EIL) is not free from ideologies and worldviews that accompany the dominant English language. There are many underlying implicit curricula (such as L1 user norms, English‐only instruction, gender, class, or racial ideologies) that are being taught and learned, often unrecognized by the language learners, while learning the English language. These implicit curricula of various types of discrimination, socialization, and unstated rules, when accepted without question, can affect success in language learning and teaching. While previous studies have exposed various dimensions of the implicit curriculum in EIL, current research focuses on complex interconnectedness of different linguistic, cultural, social, and individual factors that are shaped and are shaping the implicit curriculum in and out of EIL classroom settings. Future research must be devoted to more explicit investigation of the impact of intersectionality of implicit curricula on language teaching and learning and to more innovative pedagogical practices that can disrupt such impact.