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How Linguistics Has Influenced Schools in England†
Article first published online: 5 JUN 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-818X.2007.00015.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
Hudson, R. (2007), How Linguistics Has Influenced Schools in England. Language and Linguistics Compass, 1: 227–242. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-818X.2007.00015.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 5 JUN 2007
- Article first published online: 5 JUN 2007
- Language and Linguistics Compass 1/4 (2007): 227–242, 10.1111/j.1749-818x.2007.00015.x
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Abstract
The article reviews a number of changes in English schools that can be attributed to the influence of linguistics. The most obvious one is the introduction of a course on the English language, which occupies about a third of the last 2 years of secondary school (A-level English language) and which has proved extremely popular with pupils. Other changes are due to two influential ideas: language awareness (the subject ‘language’ unites English and foreign-language classes and pupils should learn about its general characteristics) and knowledge about language (pupils should learn explicitly about language structure). These two ideas have had a major impact on recent changes in the teaching of both first-language English and foreign languages, both of which have emerged from a ‘grammarless’ period; the teaching of grammar (and other aspects of language structure) is now required by official documents, although it is not always easy for teachers who themselves know little grammar.