Presentation                                                                        

APAC Convention 23rd, 24th and 25th February, 2012

Solid learning for liquid times

Bob Dylan sang in his 1963 The Times They Are a Changin’ about the beginning of a new order of priorities in life, in culture, in politics and in education. The new order which bloomed in the 1960s  has  been shifting and evolving since then, and in our EFL field teachers who are now about to retire have lived through many changes. Those teachers started their profession with a piece of chalk and a blackboard, and lived changes in technology (from tapes to Moodle software),  in how language is perceived and described (from grammar translation to communicative approaches), and in how learning is perceived and geared (from conductivism to socio-constructivism).

But no matter how familiar we teachers may be with changes in the recent past, society is now heading towards changes which affect the very roots of curriculum development and learning theories. Zygmunt Bauman, the English-Polish sociologist who has been publishing on what he calls the liquid modern era for the past 10 years,  goes deeper, (and) beyond the changes we have witnessed throughout the 20th century. Durability and solidity are no longer an asset in a world that is continuously changing, and this not only affects tangible properties but also education and knowledge. If what is learnt today may not be necessary (or useful) tomorrow, then how can content be defined and made accessible and relevant to students?. How can reading in English be taught if there is widespread access to online translation? What English is to be chosen if different students will need different Englishes to cater for their different needs? An easy answer is possible: learning to learn is the way to go,… but on what basis should learning to learn be  approached ? 

A solid basis for learning in liquid times requires reflection, motivation, flexibility and inspiration, how to qualities which prepare for uncertainty, both in teachers and in students, and these have to grow from the inside, a rather difficult endeavour in times where easy-to-download seems to be the most coveted characteristic of goods, resources and knowledge.

Our Convention in 2012 will aim at tackling how we teachers of English can grow professionally and enable our students in the challenge to achieve solid learning that can be useful in whatever context they find themselves needing English. Jorge Wagensberg – director of Cosmocaixa Barcelona - has kindly accepted to give the Opening session and speakers who have a lot to say in this respect have already confirmed their participation:  Jorge Wagensberg, David Block, Adrian Underhill or Chris Roland, and we look forward to your responses to our Call for Papers.

Venue

Call-for-papers