The Future of English is a major research programme co-ordinated by the British Council. It provides a voice for stakeholders throughout the world and is shaping the agenda for further discussion, research and planning into the use of English, as well as approaches to English language teaching and learning.
The exhibition is across three thematic areas: English and Community, English and the workplace and English and technology. It thus helps to understand the landscape of English use today to enable better planning for learners’ needs for tomorrow.
The launch will follow a session on The Future of English: Implications for Teachers and learners.
About the session:
We are living through a period where the pace of change seems relentless. This changing world has implications for the use and the teaching of the English language. Change creates opportunities. Opportunities to reflect, to be in the moment and also to think about the future. We will briefly reflect on where we think we are very generally in the area of English language teaching now. Then, importantly, we will suggest implications for English language teachers to think about as we move forward into a world where the education space and the stakeholders have changed. To frame our presentation, we will the findings of the Future of English programme initiated by the British Council in 2020.
The Future of English (FoE) is a multi-phase research project with the aim of identifying key trends that will define the role of English as a global language in the coming decade, and the issues and opportunities for countries around the world in achieving their goals for the use of English in their contexts. This is not the first-time work has been done on trying to foresee the future direction of the English language and its role in teaching and learning. Existing studies (Graddol, 1997 and 2006) have been reviewed and findings from these reviews form the basis of the Future of English project.
Teachers and learners have been at the forefront of discussion and debate as education systems have attempted to navigate new learning environments to ensure the continued provision of high-quality, effective teaching and learning. This presentation will discuss findings from the project which illuminate the role of the English teacher in a world that has recently seen dramatic change and disruption.
About the facilitator
Sarah Rogerson,
Director English Programmes South Asia and East Asia
Sarah Rogerson is First Secretary of Culture and Director English Programmes South Asia and East Asia for the British Council, based in Mumbai, she is accountable for education development programmes across South and East Asia. Sarah has a Master’s degree from Leeds University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Nottingham Trent University. She has worked in English Language Teaching, Learning and Assessment since 1999 when she moved to Taiwan for a teaching role. Since then, she has worked in a number of educational settings including teaching marginalised people in a TVET context in the UK and many years at Cambridge Assessment with responsibility for Assessment Innovation. More recently, she was Director of Assessment at Oxford University Press. Sarah is interested in providing marginalised communities with access to education at scale. She is also very interested in digital innovation and is published in relation to virtual reality.
Director English Programmes South Asia and East Asia
Sarah Rogerson is First Secretary of Culture and Director English Programmes South Asia and East Asia for the British Council, based in Mumbai, she is accountable for education development programmes across South and East Asia. Sarah has a Master’s degree from Leeds University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Nottingham Trent University. She has worked in English Language Teaching, Learning and Assessment since 1999 when she moved to Taiwan for a teaching role. Since then, she has worked in a number of educational settings including teaching marginalised people in a TVET context in the UK and many years at Cambridge Assessment with responsibility for Assessment Innovation. More recently, she was Director of Assessment at Oxford University Press. Sarah is interested in providing marginalised communities with access to education at scale. She is also very interested in digital innovation and is published in relation to virtual reality.
Date: 11 March 2024
Timing: 4.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.