Values, Philosophies, and Beliefs in TESOL: Making a Statement Book

Acknowledgments xi

Chapter 1 Beginning to make a statement (of beliefs, values, or philosophy) in TESOL 1

Introduction 1

A simple preliminary conception and a rationale for a philosophy of teaching 2

"Methods," language teaching traditions, and philosophical issues: A preview 3

Other terms related to "philosophy of teaching" 8

Sources and processes for developing a philosophy of teaching 12

Organization of the rest of the text 21

Discussion questions 25

Chapter 2 The early history and philosophies of school 28

Introduction 28

The beginnings both of schooling and of S/FL literacy 29

The beginnings of higher education and of philosophies of schooling 33

The philosophies of early schools 36

S/FL learning in ancient schooling 39

Modern school 41

Nonmodern philosophies in language teachers' developing philosophies of teaching 42

Concluding remark 43

Discussion questions 44

Chapter 3 Language teaching traditions in historical and philosophical context 46

Introduction 46

Humanism (from the 1400s forward) 46

The 18th century in Europe 51

The 20th century 61

For applied linguists, the story starts here... 68

Concluding remark 71

Discussion questions 72

Chapter 4 Isms and systems 75

Introduction 75

Metacategories or a metasystem 76

Systems or philosophical "-isms" 79

Educational-philosophical movements and language-teaching traditions 84

Progressivism, reconstructionism, perennialism, and essentialism 85

Concluding remark 89

Discussion questions 90

Chapter 5 Two recent philosophical movements, language teaching, and the way the world is going (perhaps) 92

Introduction 92

The nonempiricists 93

Traditions of continentalphilosophy 96

Structuralism and reactions to it: Post-structuralist ideas about language and consciousness 102

Modernism and reactions to it: Postmodern ideas about society and change 107

Concluding remark 108

Discussion questions 109

Chapter 6 Epistemology and the S/FL teacher 112

Introduction 112

Knowledge 114

Theories of truth; truth and associated concepts 116

Some current theories of knowledge; and of its acquisition 116

Knowledge of language and of second or foreign languages 120

Professional knowledge 124

Teachers' knowledge 130

Concluding remark 132

Discussion questions 133

Chapter 7 Ethics and morals 136

Introduction 136

A quick history of ethics 137

Ethics in education 140

Professional ethics 144

Concluding remark 147

Discussion questions 147

Chapter 8 Mainstream social and political philosophy and language education 149

Introduction 149

Definitions and the topics encompassed by this area 150

Sociopolitical concepts in democracies 152

Rights 160

Criticisms of liberal concepts 164

Interim summary 170

Concluding remark 171

Discussion questions 172

Chapter 9 Radical alternatives 175

Background 175

Free libertarian schools 176

Critical pedagogy 181

Feminism and feminist philosophy in education 186

Points of feminist critique in philosophy and education 188

Feminist pedagogy 191

Concluding remark 195

Discussion questions 196

Chapter 10 Some continuing tensions for S/FL teachers 199

Introduction 199

Tension/control 201

Compromise 203

Resistance 206

Concluding remark 211

Discussion questions 212

Chapter 11 Aims and other components of a teaching philosophy - empirical studies 214

Introduction 214

Aims as part of the philosophy of education 215

Aims for the individual 217

Vocational aims 220

Aims and society 221

Aims and intrinsically worthwhile activities 224

Empirical studies 224

Goodman on "a practical philosophy of teaching" 232

Concluding remark 234

Discussion questions 235

Chapter 12 A concluding comment 238

References 241

Index 271