ESOL teaching practices and the influence of the social context

Abstract

Teachers in their teaching practice live different tensions related to political, social, economic and cultural demands. Teachers’ decisions within the classroom are likely to have consequences beyond any academic scenario. Those decisions have an impact on students’ perception of society and culture. On the one hand, teachers have some influence upon some of these sociocultural and self-concept related issues that shape students’ upbringing. On the other hand, aspects such as family revenues, social dynamics, location and strata, role models, parents’ literacy level, etc. exceed their means as they are part of a system concerning the social, political and economic establishment of the government. In public education, EFL teachers cannot afford to approach English as a mere subject to be taught. In fact, the great majority of them are homeroom teachers too.