cutral literacy

Table of contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 Portrait of a Kuwaiti Teacher

Nature of the problem

1 .1 .1 Kuwait Learns to Live in a Post-Modern Global Context

A closed ' system in the past , Kuwait is shifting to a greater openness in terms of politics , economy , and social life . The concepts of globalism ' and post-modernity ' as related to Kuwait . The national educational system as the one being one of the most affected by recent trends of globalism and post-modernism

The sociolinguistic situation in Kuwait

Analysis of recent research

on the state of educational affairs in Kuwait reveals that English becomes an important tool of learning /teaching . Attitudes to English as a signifier of a changing sociolinguistic picture . Introduction of the concept of sociolinguistics

Changing Teachers - Changing Country

It is hypothesised that Kuwait experiences changes at all levels including social , political , cultural , and educational . The best way to facilitate changes is to improve the current educational system . Why is it to be changed ? What are its weak points ? Build a case towards the necessity for futuristic critical research to establish a link between teacher professional knowledge and language knowledge

Rationale of the study

Significance of the study

Aims and research questions /Definitions (Teacher Knowledge Use and Spread of English

Chapter 2 Researching Context

2 .1 Root to Teaching in Kuwait

Overview of the national educational system . Possible characteristics syncretism , flexibility , tradition vs . innovation . Factors contributing to the firmament of the system : religion , social background , language (Arab vs . foreign . Paths to acquiring a teaching degree

2 .2 Kuwaiti teachers : Who are they

Positioning of a teaching profession in Kuwait . Demographic characteristics of teachers . Critical issues (prompts : proportion of females and males , age , professional background , possibilities for professional development . Emphasis on teachers of English as being the most susceptible for change

2 .3 Conceptualization of Teacher Knowledge in Kuwait

2 .4 Policies of Teaching English in Kuwait

Discusses main trends in ELT within the Kuwaiti setting

2 .4 .1 TESOL : An opposition to bilingualism

2 .4 .2 Methodological approaches to TESOL

2 .4 .2 .1 A learner-centred approach

2 .4 .2 .2 A content-based approach

2 .4 .2 .3 A critical approach

2 .3 .3 Introduction of socio-cultural competence as an important contributor to English knowledge

2 .4 .3 .1 Definition of the socio-cultural competence

2 .4 .3 .2 Types of knowledge within the socio-cultural competence (content knowledge vs . culture knowledge small cultures vs . large cultures

2 .4 .3 .3 Approaches to the training in socio-cultural competence

2 .5 Why research the concept of Teacher Knowledge ? - strive for a critical approach

Chapter 3 English Language : Past and Future . What Should a Teacher Know

3 .1 Conceptualization of Teacher Knowledge

3 .1 .1 Content (curriculum

3 .1 .2 Environment (learning resources

3 .1 .3 Training (practice

3 .2 English Language as Ideology : A Ruling Majority or a Humble Opposition

Describes possible functions of English language

3 .2 .1 PetroEnglish : English as a socio-economic medium

3 .2 .2 Are We Together : English as a...