Language and Languages: Global and Local Tensions

The emergence of globalisation is bringing massive changes to all aspects of life, including language. In an effort to raise awareness on the effects of globalisation on language learning and teaching, the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA) devoted its 31st Annual Congress to this theme. This volume represents a collection of papers by academics in Australia, South-East Asia, New Zealand, Europe and North America, which synthesize language learning and teaching theories and current research to present the views of applied linguists and language educators on a variety of issues with regards to the tensions that globalisation and internationalisation bring on language and languages. A total of twenty-two articles discuss issues related to the status of the ELT profession in a globalised world, issues of ESL teaching and language assessment, the ever increasing use of ICTs for foreign language learning, and the effects of globalisation on minority languages. This collection of articles attempts to integrate theoretical issues, research findings, and practical applications on different aspects of TESOL to provide academics, researchers, students and language educators with a discussion of the current state of affairs in the field of applied linguistics with regards to globalisation.