Tensions in the Adult ELT Curriculum – Session 2
Tensions in the Adult ELT Curriculum
28 May 2024. 5:30pm – 6:30pm AEST, Online
Summary
On 28th May 2024 Chris Corbel presented the second of two sessions exploring tensions within the current adult ELT curriculum. Using the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) as a case study, these sessions explore how its curriculum has changed over time, how the current tensions emerged, and the likelihood of change in the future. Session 1, held on 19th March, looked at how the AMEP has gone through three broad curriculum phases, moving from a focus on elements of language forms (structures), to a focus on elements of language use (functions), and then to the current focus on elements of language tasks (competencies).
In Session 2, The Burden of Compliance, Chris looked at how tensions between policy makers and educators have led to the current onerous compliance demands on teachers in the competency environment. It examined what is being done about these demands and how they may change in the immediate future. Chris highlighted the centrality of trust in the relationship between policy makers and educators, noting that the overburden of compliance has arisen alongside lower trust, the rise of the audit culture and competitive tendering. He is hopeful that with a single national curriculum and a new business model, the burden of compliance may come to be reduced.
Recording
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