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National policy on second languages (II)

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National policy on second languages (II)

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In 2008, the General Education Law (Ley General de Educación) was modified by the addition of a subsection to article 7, point XVI which says that education in Mexico must promote knowledge of universal culture and international solidarity through the teaching of foreign languages. Foreign language study is seen as a means for achieving comprehension, international collaboration, and economic welfare. To achieve these aims, teachers are encouraged to include project work among their repertoire of classroom activities, which promotes collaboration and the development of individual skills as components of teamwork. UNESCO identifies learning for life as a key strategy for all educational levels. Self-directed learning is becoming more important for students to achieve the standards demanded by university education and is critically important to success in flexible curricula and curricula with shorter durations.

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Mexican Education Authorities at the macro-level of planning are relatively silent on the issue of second languages and apparently reluctant to speak directly about the English language. There is no direct mention of the English language in the PND and only one late mention of English in the PSE. In Mexico, using the word English in a policy statement can be considered political suicide. In terms of educational policy, some recent changes have had a profound effect on second languages in Mexico.  A special committee was formed with international experts who characterized Mexican school authorities as being aware of major strengths and weaknesses and open in their communication with them.  On the downside, they also defined the educational system as highly inefficient, pointing out that incentives for improvement are weak and that both the quantity and quality of educational provision is low by OECD standards. They recommended aligning the curriculum to the key areas of literacy, math and information technology and investing heavily investment in teacher quality, taking immediate steps to increase teacher supply. They urged authorities to provide clear guidelines as to what success looks like in terms of student performance at different levels within the system.
The report emphasized the use of formative assessment to improve learning, encouraging Mexican teachers and authorities to take their concept of assessment beyond measurement.

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International policy on second languages

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International policy on second languages

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Many of these policies are not directly intended to affect the teaching and learning of second languages but form the educational backdrop against which we practice our profession. The UNESCO (2009) has declared that knowledge of three languages is the norm regarding language proficiency which will be expected from school leavers in the 21st century. These three languages are expected to include the native language (which is afforded central status), a regional language of wider communication and a language of international communication.  Language diversity is to be protected because languages are recognized as the principal vehicles of identity of the self, playing a central role as a carrier of culture; for this reason, the UNESCO actively promotes policies of translation of documents into a wide variety of languages to facilitate access and, hence, the development of the knowledge society.  In terms of educational policy, the UNESCO has argued convincingly for the need to implement learning for life as a pillar of curricular design.  The OECD identifies the twin concerns of professionalized teaching and personalized learning as key policy drivers which should guide educational efforts in general.  From this perspective, student success is the only reliable indicator of the success of the system as a whole. To achieve this goal, teaching must become professionalized, that is to say that teachers must feel pride in their profession and feel that they are on a par with other professionals in terms of competence and respect.

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In the context of Mexico, language policy is frequently symbolic rather than substantive (Torborg et al., 2007). According to Kaplan and Baldauf (1997: xi) “the first articulates good feelings toward change… and the latter articulates specific steps to be taken”. Symbolic policies are frequently more statements of political orientation than actual policies; they are intended to attract voters rather than generate benefits for the population as a whole. However, it is also interesting to note the absence of comments regarding which language should be learnt and by whom. Language Acquisition policy, currently limited to the articulation of can-do statements describing different levels of performance without assigning these values to any sector of the population, is articulated in non-controversial terms.
Languages are seen as social practices which are chosen by speakers within the constraints of their environment depending on their relative strengths of different practices as perceived by members of a language community and the affinities of those speakers.
All of the languages present in particular language ecologies will interact and affect each other in terms of use, once a language achieves a certain critical mass all other languages will find it difficult to resist its gravitational pull, becoming inexorably attracted to that language and eventually becoming absorbed by it. Mexican language ecology, the increasing vitality of Spanish has unfortunate consequences for indigenous languages which are becoming increasingly fragmented into isolated communities.  Spanish can be seen as in grave danger as being absorbed by the gravitational pull of English.
Calvet’s theory of the current global linguistic system postulates four levels of languages; at the first level, there is one hyper-central language, currently English. On the second level, there are approximately ten super-central languages, including Russian, Chinese, Spanish, and French. Speakers of languages of this group will tend towards monolingualism or bilingualism with the hyper-central language or another super-central representative.  The third level consists of 100-200 central languages. Wolof (Africa) and Swedish fall into this category and level four covers 4000-5000 peripheral languages, whose speakers will tend towards plurilingualism.

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Language policy is always a slippery subject; difficult to define clearly, difficult to identify in practice and the potential impact of a given policy is hard to predict.  The first policy is often implicit in the actions of the individuals and institutions concerned. There is little direct mention of the English language and its use in the Plan Nacional de Desarrollo (PND, 2007) or in the Plan Sectorial de Educación (PSE, 2007), notwithstanding its pervasive presence in Mexico’s school system.  Secondly, even when a policy can be clearly identified, it is difficult to measure all the impacts of a policy. Thirdly, the relationship between statements of policy and individual action is complex.

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MEXICAN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY ON SECOND LANGUAGES

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MEXICAN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY ON SECOND LANGUAGES

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Life in globalized Mexico has a heightened sense of connectedness of those who live here with others in the international sphere and, at the same time, disconnectedness with large groups of conational whose lives are hard to understand from behind the safe façade of Facebook.
Globalization has changed the human potential for allegiance; ironically, both expanding and contracting it at the same time. Language and educational policy were briefly defined and a theoretical framework was established in terms of Calvet’s ecology of world languages (2006). Language policy is always a slippery subject; difficult to define clearly, difficult to identify in practice and the potential impact of a given policy is hard to predict. By policy, in this paper we shall consider the construal of a standpoint towards action in the sphere of languages. Kaplan & Baldauf (1997) in identifying three levels at which policy can be expressed and/or put into action: the macro, meso and micro levels. Depending on the context, even individual beliefs and prejudices can strongly affect the course of policy.

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Opportunities can be found in areas in need of improvement, such as the need to recruit and train more English language teachers, as well as in industries earmarked for growth. In the latter, English language skills will become increasingly more closely aligned with employability, and this could be coupled with an interest in corporate support for English language learning.

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Exposure to English and the learning environment

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Exposure to English and the learning environment

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The SEPs comprehensive guidelines for English teaching approach contained within the national program aim to embed and preserve the use of English in social life. However the ideal profile of teachers in Mexico is a long way from being achieved as many teachers have no language training and at a basic level have only achieved the one level of English above the level they are expected to teach.

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The influence of media and culture on attitudes towards English learning

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The influence of media and culture on attitudes towards English learning

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Some embrace it because of its positive significance and the access it gives them to popular culture, some feel a sense of imposition that they must become proficient in English to access certain prestigious opportunities. For example, study abroad, others experience a disconnect been why they are learning English and the pathway their future lives will take. These students learn during mandatory school classes but do not practice or retain what they have learned as their daily personal, and working lives do not necessitate its use.

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Young American-born Mexicans are beginning to return to Mexico, the number rising to 1.4 million for the period from 2005 to 2010, which is twice that of the previous decade. Commonly with both Spanish and English language skills, this group of youngsters are view as highly skilled and can more easily find jobs in Mexico than in the US.

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The geography of Mexico was described as having a profound effect on levels of English, dividing the country to form three stripes. The northern states that border the US that have a strong tradition of English learning levels and a legacy of developed public English programs prior to the NEPBE.  The central region that comprises the largest proportion of the Mexican population’s middle class that by and large do use English in their daily working lives. The states that join Mexico to Central America where there is much less need for English and, therefore, proficiency declines. Much of the foreign investment in Mexico that has been widely reported in the global media is contained within certain areas of different states so has yet to affect the lives of the majority of Mexicans.

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Level of education and the need to speak English

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Level of education and the need to speak English

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Many students aspire to study overseas, but cannot because their English does not reach the required standard. It was iterated by a number of university administrators that students who do not have aspirations to pursue an academic subject that requires English or to study abroad in an English-speaking country simply do not feel the need to learn the language. The majority of students make little connection with English requirements throughout their education and future career.

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Economic development and global competitiveness

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Economic development and global competitiveness

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Reports suggest that although increased tourism may come from non-English speaking countries, it is felt that English is the international language of tourism allowing communication between many nationalities. As a result, many Mexicans in the Baja California, Central Mexico, Pacific Coast and Yucatan Peninsula regions of Mexico have a higher level of English proficiency. Foreign investment contributing to the growth and development of Mexico’s industrial strengths are likely to impact the demand for a skilled workforce with English language skills.

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English for national and personal economic growth

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English for national and personal economic growth

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Eighty-six per cent also indicated they believe English is essential to the growth and progress of their organization. In data supplied by the Mexican government’s Education Ministry, English was shown as contributing significantly to national economic prosperity having acquired value as linguistic capital and bringing an estimated US$ 27 billion a year to Mexico via growth in the services sector.

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The value placed on English by employers

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The value placed on English by employers

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Mexican businesses were asked to indicate the importance and value they placed on English language as a skill in their job, their personal life, as essential to the growth and progress of their organization, as a ‘must have’ qualification in their current job and as an essential skill when hiring new staff.

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When asked what they believed was the main reason the general population of Mexico learnt English, 77% of employers surveyed indicated they believed it was to improve their employment prospects.

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The proportion selecting English as the main language of external business communication increased to 47%, French 3%, German 1%, Portuguese 1%, Italian 1%, Mandarin Chinese 1% and Hebrew 1%. The graph below shows which language was chosen by representatives from each industry.  Data shows that English is used far more frequently as the language of external business communication.

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Data has shown that English is viewed as a skill for greater employability by Mexican survey respondents and a high value is placed upon it, by those who have and haven’t attained a level of proficiency, as a route to access better employment.

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Speaking English was seen as a skill for greater employability by the largest proportion of positive respondents (56%), followed by wanting to learn American English (12%). 10% said they felt it was a good skill for making friends and 10% said they wanted to learn British English, 7% they could not afford to take courses to learn properly, 2% said they had learnt it because it was compulsory at school, 2% also said they felt they had not been given the opportunity to learn it and finally only 1% said they had no desire to improve their English further.

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Cost and access to learning English, both at school and on government-funded programs, were cited as the main barriers to learning English. This correlates with the findings from the positive survey respondents that early introduction to English learning at primary and high school are some of the main motivating factors to learn the language. Only a very small number of survey participants attributed not having learnt English to it not being a necessary skill for employment and the smallest number said they had no desire to learn English.

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Data shows that high proficiency in English speaking skills is largely due to environmental factors. Frequently consuming English speaking films, television and music, being able to speak English with friends and at work are crucial factors to ensure frequent usage and retention of English speaking skills; the highest proportion of respondents felt this was the hardest of the English competencies (14%).

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Fifty-one per cent of English learners said they had learnt English as it was mandatory at secondary school, 45% to improve their employment prospects, 43% as they needed to acquire English as a skill for university. 24% said they studied English as it was mandatory at primary school level, 22% as it allowed them to access more information sources, 11% as it was necessary for their job, 9% to travel, 8% as they were encouraged by their friends and family, 8% so they could create a wider personal and professional network, 3% said English could help them gain social standing. Of the respondents that selected the other option (4%), the largest proportion said they studied English as they liked the language. the data shows that the greatest motivations for studying English were mandatory secondary school learning, while studying at undergraduate level and for employment, via private English language school training.

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With the remaining incremental salary increases, the number of respondents that indicated they had studied English grows or remains significantly positive; Mex $33,001 – 65,000 (56% Yes), Mex$ 1,000,001 – 1,300,000 (100% Yes). A caveat here must be given that the sample size for the largest income bracket was not large enough to be statistically significant.

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According to survey results, there is a correlation between higher levels of educational attainment and previous study of English language. Anecdotally, though people with higher levels of education are more likely to have studied the language, this does not necessarily correlate with being proficient in the language.

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Occupations that involve a higher level of education or academic qualification incorporate a high proportion of the respondents that had studied English. Interestingly a high proportion of those working in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media had also studied English. Occupations that involve manual labor, a lower level of educational attainment, working with local communities or respondents that were not currently employed incorporated the highest proportion of the sample that had not studied English.

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Occupation, levels of education and household income affected the levels of English attained what might motivate them to start to learn the language. Both positive and negative respondents were then asked to give their view on learning English and the value they placed on English as a skill.

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11% of Internet users describe their main activity online as online training.
However, increased access to mobile communications and digital resources are opening channels to learn English online. British Council Learn English mobile download statistics show over 68,000 English language learning apps were downloaded in Mexico in the 2013-2014 financial years.

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In Mexico students achieve a B2 or C1 level of English, but it is worth mentioning that those taking the IELTS and TOEFL are part of a self-selecting group that has previously undergone English training, thus are not representative of the whole population.

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Penetration of Commercial English in Education

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Penetration of Commercial English in Education

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There are some commercial English language providers across Mexico, with upwards of 70 registered schools across the Mexican states, with a number of companies having multiple branches such as Berlitz, Harmon Hall, International and The Anglo. They market themselves as being able to offer tailored learning solutions to meet the needs of individual learners, but are perceived as expensive. They also had a large number of young learners who were supplementing their school-based English learning. Across Mexico, English learners take TOEFL, IELTS and Education First tests to evaluate their levels of English.

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Penetration of English Language in Higher Education

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Penetration of English Language in Higher Education

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The large numbers of Mexican higher education institutions, both public and private, are becoming increasingly internationalized and are beginning to develop strategies for internationalization. It has been commented that internationalization is at such a level of development in Mexico that it constitutes little more than the development of faculty and students’ English skills. English language skills are increasingly seen as important to facilitate internationalization of universities in areas of student and staff mobility. Many Mexican universities do not have an institutional English program nor do they centralize the process of assessing students’ English language levels. Many institutions charge an additional fee for students to gain English qualifications.

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Penetration of English Language in Private Education

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Penetration of English Language in Private Education

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Between 1985 and 2000 the per capita number of both private and public high schools almost doubled and by 2004 the number of students enrolled in private high schools was almost nine times the amount recorded in 1970. In 002 on the direct costs of studying (books and other materials, exams, boarding, etc.) show that the average cost of attending a public high school amounts to around 15% of median yearly household income, whereas the average cost of attending a private high school amounts to around 23%.
There are two types of private schools with English-language curricula: the bilingual school, where children begin to learn English at three years old, at first full-time and two or three hours per day; and the bicultural school, where children spend 50% of their time learning English.  There has also been a growth in international schools in Mexico with reports showing there are now over 100 schools with 80% of demand coming from wealthy local parents. It is estimated that approximately 18.5% of high school students attend some kind of private school.

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Penetration of English Language in Public Education

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Penetration of English Language in Public Education

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In 2012 the gross enrolment ratios (GER) in each level of education in Mexico were: pre-primary101%, primary 105%, lower secondary 109%, upper secondary 62%. Statistics from the SEP suggest that 27% of pre-primary and 27% of primary school students have participated in the program. Data from the SEP concerning the management of educational services shows that 71.5% of students attend schools managed by state governments. The data suggest this high percentage is due to the federalization of basic education and teachers’ colleges outlined in the opening section of this report that started in 1992.

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The British Council estimates that the total size of the English language learning market in Mexico is around 23.9 million people, roughly 21% of the population. This figure includes students learning English via all possible channels: public education, at primary, secondary and tertiary levels and private education institutions. It also includes individuals and organizations learning English privately or via self-access learning.

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In 2009 the SEP released a pilot program in states such as Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, Sonora, and Tamaulipas. The idea was to know the curriculum, the teachers (characteristics, the current labor situation, and profile), the teaching and evaluation practices, and the resources and materials. Research that has been conducted brings to light the complexity of expanding the NEPBE throughout the country. The minister of education in each state determines the budget spend on the program NEPBE; however, the national English language education suggests that curriculum circumstances, teacher profiles, students’ characteristics, government spending and community support are all important to ensure positive outcomes for the program.

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The Mexican government’s spending on education is significant and has been on a sharp upward trend since the 1980s, reaching around 7% of GDP in 2012. According to the OECD, Mexico devotes 83.1% of its education budget to teachers’ salaries and 93.3% to compensation of staff altogether – the highest proportions among OECD countries. In 2013 the Congress passed an education bill to improve the quality of education in Mexico.  With this bill, all teachers are subject to a mandatory assessment, what the government wants to make sure that teachers qualify to teach and have the abilities to do so.

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SEP has devised two profiles for potential English teachers, each one specifies the proficiency level that teacher must obtain in order to teach English in public school. This level is based on the Common European Framework; for instance, to teach a student in cycle 1 to attain level A1, the teacher must have attained level. The Ideal level the teacher must have attained is two levels above that in which they are instructing the students.

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Language teaching should be taught in spoken practices used in dialogues and are stablished according to the social and communicative convention of the culture where the exchanges take place. So the program involves three different types of learning:
“Learning to do” with the language. This corresponds to the communicative actions carried out in concrete interactive situations.
“Learning to know” about the language. This type of content involves a series of aspects, concepts, and topics for reflection on features, characteristics, and elements of the language, with the goal of helping students raise awareness about their knowledge.
Learning to be through the language, this type of content refers to aspects related to the role of intercultural education in general and to language diversity in particular as well as the multiple functions they carry out and the attitudes and values underlying oral and written interaction.
The idea is to provide an education that preserves the functions and uses of language in social life. Specific activities with the language derived from the former should be included from the early years of basic education. So in order to achieve this goal, teachers must be competent in areas such as language mastery, that is to say, the teacher must be a competent and proficient language user as well as critical. Also, knowledge related to the students’ development at different ages; the teacher must understand the needs, interest and abilities and difficulties of students. Finally, it is necessary to have knowledge related to foreign language teaching.

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National English Program in Basic Education

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National English Program in Basic Education

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The National English Program in Basic Education is divided into two stages; the first stage focuses on contact and familiarization and takes place in Cycle 1; the idea is to sensitize students to a foreign language by getting them involved in social practices and specific activities to practice the language. The second stage focuses on the formative teaching of foreign language and takes place in cycles 2, 3 and 4; students obtain the required competences to use English effectively.  The NEPBE includes a total of 1,060 hours teaching which corresponds to the sum of hours allocated to this subject in each

school grade (200 days, 40 weeks).

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Federal government policy for English language learning

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Federal government policy for English language learning

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Policy for English language learning in Mexico has been a complexed process because of the complicated relation between the federal government and state government. When a policy is clearly stated it is difficult to measure its exact impact as this may fall beyond the intended consequence of the original policy; unless they perceived it as a beneficial on a personal level, which is certainly true of the Mexican federal government’s policy for language learning. in 2012 the Government stablished a plan (national Development plan) regarding public education policies in Mexico; the objectives of this plan were:

1. Increase the quality of education so that students improve their level of educational achievement

2. Widen educational opportunities in order to diminish inequalities among social groups, close gaps and foster equity.

3. Foster the development and use of information technology in the educational system to support student learning, increase life competences and favor a better entry into learned society.

4. Provide a comprehensive education by balancing the formation of citizenship values, the development of competence and the acquisition of knowledge.

5. Offer quality in educational services to develop individuals with a higher awareness of their social responsibilities.

6. Foster school and institutional management, which makes school participation more integral to the decision making process.

The plan was developed to enhance the quality of education in Mexico and at the same time to incorporate English as subject to the curricula of pre-school and primary education; and make some adjustments to secondary school English curricula

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Federal and state governance of education in Mexico

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Federal and state governance of education in Mexico

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Schools have been teaching the English language since 1960; and the centralization of basic education and teacher education started in 1992 with the agreement to modernize the basic education in Mexico. The Federal Congress reformed Article Three of the Constitution in 1992 and approved the General Law of Education (GLE). It is a model in which the central state retains the power to dictate general, nationwide norms for the overall system. The Mexican model of decentralization has been described as based on the cooperation between and coordination of the states and the federal government rather than a representation of sovereign states agreeing to establish a national system. This model was named the New Federalism. Younger Mexicans today are attaining higher levels of education than previous generations. Also, most Mexicans have attained a level below upper secondary education. The proportion of adults who have attained at least an upper secondary education is one of the smallest among the OECD countries.