Past, Present, and Ways Forward: Toward Inclusive Policies for TESOL and Multilingualism

Abstract

Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) has always entailed helping students to become more multilingual, but from a policy perspective it has often been perceived as a monolingual endeavor. As evidenced by advocacy statements such as TESOL International Association’s Action Agenda for the Future of the TESOL Profession (2018), the World Innovation Summit for Education’s research report on Language Policy in Globalized Contexts (Reynolds, 2019), edited volumes such as The Multilingual Turn: Implications for SLA, TESOL, and Bilingual Education (May, 2014), and many recent volumes on translanguaging pedagogies (e.g., Rabbidge, 2019; Turner, 2019), this perception is changing. Policies that position TESOL as an instance of multilingual education are emerging. Policy Development for TESOL and Multilingualism: Past, Present, and the Way Forward provides both historical context and supporting exemplars for educational practitioners and administrators looking to address practical issues in English language teaching including curriculum development, learner assessment, program management, and teacher education. At the same time, it serves as a resource for those interested in how we design educational systems that recognize the linguistic and cultural resources that all students bring to their classrooms and build more inclusive societies.