The British Council releases its landmark paper on the future of the English language
The result of a series of panel discussions that bring together educational experts from 49 countries around the world
English will retain its position as the most spoken language in the world over the next decade, and teachers will remain an essential foundation in the process of teaching English, despite the increased use of automated systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
These were among the findings of the landmark research, The Future of the English Language: Global Perspectivesissued by the British Council in April, which is the result of a series of panel discussions that bring together educational experts from 49 countries around the world.
This research is the first publication in a major research program and global engagement by the British Council for the year 2020. The Future of English Research Program will shed light on the drivers for the adoption of English as a global language, and will provide information to policy makers, educators, researchers, as well as everyone concerned with this important topic.
The most important search results:
- English is the most spoken language in the world and English is likely to retain its position over the next decade and beyond.
- The English language will play a fundamental role in enabling more young people to access higher education opportunities.
- There is a strong link between the desire to learn English and the need for teachers, despite the interest in modern technologies.
- The private sector can address the shortcomings in language education provided by the public sector, and it would also expand the horizons available to young people. However, the quality of some of the private services provided is inconsistent, and the report suggests strengthening cooperation between service providers in the public and private sectors.
- Policy makers should review the approach to assessing English proficiency on an ongoing basis to ensure that assessment processes remain relevant to today’s study, work and social needs.
- Technology can help more students learn a language, but research says it may also widen the gap between people who have access to technology and those who don’t.
- There is a gradual trend, led by industry, towards enhancing language proficiency in line with it being practical and situational rather than focusing exclusively on fluency in the mother tongue.
The British Council will commission data collection on a global scale to communicate information for future global research publications. As part of our long-term commitment, we have launched a major new research grants program on the future of the English language, and the first four grants will be awarded to UK-led global projects in 2022.
In addition to the new edition, the British Council intends to unveil the A traveling exhibition for the future of the English language accident. The multimedia exhibition will explore many of the report’s core themes – English in Education, English in the Workplace and English in Society – and will feature interactive elements to ask visitors about their views on the future of the English language. The exhibition will initially open at the British Council Headquarters in Stratford, London from 26th April, and then move to the New Directions LATAM 2023 Conference in São Paulo, Brazil from 25-27 May, and the New Directions East Asia 2023 Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. On October 27 and 28, 2023. Other locations and dates for 2023 will be announced before the exhibition returns to London at the beginning of 2024.
The Director of Examinations and English at the British Council, Mr Mark Walker:
At the British Council, English language teaching, learning and assessment form the core of our mission. We champion the English language to break down barriers and help millions of learners develop skills, build global relationships and access life-changing opportunities.
“Now, we are collaborating with partners, thought leaders, educators and learners around the world to open dialogue and share global perspectives on the future of the English language.”
The British Council supports 100 million learners of English around the world with electronic resources and communicates with more than four million teachers and educators via the Internet annually, making it the largest global network of teachers in the world. The British Council also works directly with educational leaders, pedagogical teachers and teachers of English to raise standards of English in education systems.
Read the full report: https://www.britishcouncil.org/future-of-english
Note to the author
For more information or to request interviews, please contact Lamia Al-Idrissi, Media Officer: [email protected]
methodology
Several panel discussions were held from June to December 2021 with 92 policy makers and experts from 49 countries around the world across various fields, including applied linguistics, assessments, and sector experts, as well as practitioners with extensive experience in the field within the British Council’s networks.
The results of these panel discussions were supported by additional data collected through desk research and questionnaires.
The Future of English was authored by Meena Patel, Mike Soule and Steve Copeland and edited by Professor Barry O’Sullivan (all British Council) and Professor Yan Jin (School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiu Tong University and member of the Assessment Advisory Board of the British Council).
Information about the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities،
as He works on fashion Bridges relations and understanding and building trust between the people in The kingdom United and countries other from during Arts and culture education and language English
We work with people in more than 200 countries, and we are present on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021 and 2022, we will reach 650 million people.
