Where Have Personnel Policies on Early English Language Learning Taken Us in Mexico So Far?

Abstract

In recent decades, early language school policies have proliferated in Mexico as a result of international education policies related to modernization and globalization. But these policies have led to a series of uneven results, as documented by Mercau Appiani (Revista Casa del Tiempo 2(24):43–46, 2009a), Perales Escudero et al. (The English in public elementary schools program of a Mexican state: https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2012.722599, 2012), Ramirez (La ensenanza del ingles en las primarias publicas mexicanas. Pearson-Universidad de Sonora-Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, 2015), Ramirez-Romero et al. (Intl J Qualit Stud Educ 27(8):1020–1043, 2014), and Terborg et al. (Curr Issues Lang Plann 7:415–518, 2006). Those studies report systematic failures in the way educational systems are currently organized. They found that the educational systems are mainly focused on early English language learning, disregarding the sociocultural dynamics that surrounds the relation of this language to languages different from English, as well as the shortage of proficient and qualified teachers. As structured and organized systems, early language learning policies have evolved and new relationships have been built among them, which has multiplied the complexity of planning. Following Kaplan and Baldauf’s (Language-in-education policy and planning. In Hinkel E (ed) Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning, pp 1013–1034. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005) framework of language-in-education policy goals and Cooper’s (Language planning and social change. Cambridge University Press, 1989) accounting scheme for the study of language planning, I analyze the personnel policy that has been established in Mexican Basic Education for Early English Learning so far. Personnel policy seems to have become the keystone, with respect to the teaching of languages in the Ministry of Education (Secretariat sounded German, Plan Sectorial de Educacion 2007–2012, 2007), ever since the policy of teaching English to primary school children was brought up for discussion by specialists from different universities and institutions in 2009 for its lack of systematic organization. I refer to personnel policies that have hindered workable teaching organization within the educational system to happen. Following that discussion, some possible articulation changes are suggested in regard to this policy.