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’
aboutthe 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.
