Language learning in the public eye: an analysis of newspapers and official documents in England

Graham, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7743-3977 and Santos, D. (2015) Language learning in the public eye: an analysis of newspapers and official documents in England. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 9 (1). pp. 72-85. ISSN 1750-1229 doi: 10.1080/17501229.2014.995766

Abstract/Summary

This article considers the issue of low levels of motivation for foreign language learning in England by exploring how language learning is conceptualised by different key voices in that country through the examination of written data: policy documents and reports on the UK's language needs, curriculum documents, and press articles. The extent to which this conceptualisation has changed over time is explored, through the consideration of documents from two time points, before and after a change in government in the UK. The study uses corpus analysis methods in this exploration. The picture that emerges is a complex one regarding how the 'problems' and 'solutions' surrounding language learning in that context are presented in public discourse. This, we conclude, has implications for the likely success of measures adopted to increase language learning uptake in that context.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/37988
Identification Number/DOI	10.1080/17501229.2014.995766
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > Institute of Education > Language and Literacy in Education Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism (CeLM)
Uncontrolled Keywords	Language learning; discourse analysis; attitudes; policy; media discourse
Publisher	Routledge
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item