ENGLISH teachers in Australia are seeking to downgrade the importance of literature in the national curriculum to allow the study of an expanded range of texts. In its submission to the National Curriculum Board’s framing paper on the English curriculum, the Australian Association for the Teaching of English disputes the board’s definition of school English as the three elements — language, literature and literacy. It called for the end of traditional literature as a discrete element, and for other types of English texts to be viewed as essential rather than “add ons" to accompany the understanding of literary texts.
Virginia, Maryland ESOL students better
美国:英语学习者阅读能力评估出炉
THE latest US National Assessment of Educational Progress ranked the state of Virginia’s English learners first in the nation in fourth-grade reading, and Maryland’s fifth. Achievement gaps for students with limited English proficiency were smaller in the two states than others. In Virginia, 78 percent of English learners passed state reading tests last year, up from 55 percent in 2003. The gap between English learners and other students narrowed from 21 percentage points to nine. In Maryland, the number passing state reading tests grew from 18 percent in 2003 to 65 percent last year. The achievement gap for English learners went from 45 percentage points to 18 points.
Seoul getting its 3rd English village
韩国:首尔将建设全市第三座英语村
THE Seoul government has announced that its third English village is on the way. The estimated 15.8 billion Won ($10.1 million) Gwanak Camp in the south-west of the city will be equipped with about 30 study rooms. Construction is slated to be completed by February next year. The Gwanak Camp will mainly offer nonresidential programs, unlike the other two villages in the eastern part of Seoul, where students usually stay for a few days. Gwanak is also considering implementing longer-term programs in the future to prevent young students from traveling overseas to learn English, a government official said.
