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Concept Note

Three-day International Conference, 14-16 May, 2024 (Hybrid mode)

(Tentative)

Appropriate Teaching Methodologies in Interdisciplinary Contexts: Mapping Sociolinguistic

Diversity

Dept. of English, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

Keywords: Teaching Methodologies, interdisciplinary Learners, Sociolinguistic Diversity, Inclusivity,

Equity, Cross-cultural communication.

Educational Systems face the daunting task of delivering effective methodologies that are
especially challenging to interdisciplinary Learners with resource and capacity constraints.
Decades of experience with methodological changes has not made the desired transformation in
learning outcomes particularly related to students’ diverse needs in low-resourced contexts.
Covid-19 has disrupted education in such a way that we experienced a never-seen-before advent
of technologies in our society. Moreover, education systems tend to deliver methodology that is
ad-hoc, is not equitably accessible and employs a one-size-fits-all approach that is overly
theoretical and often too remote to address students’ diverse needs, hence, the much-needed
reflection upon future societies depends on the way diversity education reshapes society.

Sociolinguistic diversity & Inclusiveness

Most of the existing theories and models of language learning have been developed in the
monolingual context of English as a Native or Foreign Language (ENL/EFL) perspective that is
too remote to cultural and social dimension of second language contexts such as those of Asia,
Africa, South Asia, Latin America and Middle East. When these theories are applied to
multilingual and multicultural societies, several important aspects of sociolinguistic dimensions
get underrepresented. Learners are categorized by socio- cultural factors, learning preferences,
strategies, and affective and social media networks belonging to diverse social and regional
backgrounds. Modern interdisciplinary Classrooms cannot stay aloof from contexts of culturally
diverse classrooms, and this needs to take into account learning styles research and models
(Dunn& Dunn, 1979; 2000). The recent impetus for culturally diverse classroom interaction is
driven by the complexity of interaction within the wider network of educational institutions and
host education environments. Expectedly, most of these environmental factors vary according to
digital divide, resources and infrastructure, availability of trained teacher, teacher-student ratio,
classroom size, urban or rural location, medium of instruction, category of state or central Boards
of education, gender and ethnicity in addition to the individual variables such as age, motivation
level, attitudes etc. This explains New Education Policy (NEP2020)’s, provision for offering the
program bilingually, yet it does not rule out English as a medium of instruction. The Hindu
(2022) reports in its editorial: ‘the approach and methodology should be discussed threadbare by
policymakers and educationists’.
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Concept Note

Methodological concerns & Cross-cultural Communication

Teaching Methodologies present new challenges to non- native teachers with varying degrees of
perceptions fraught with language barriers, differences of culture and contextual issues. These
issues have acquired complex dimensions for Intercultural competence since ‘language learners
are diverse. They have different needs, interests and goals, and teachers should not only be aware
of these differences’ (Burton, 2022:34), but they should use varying methods to create a
classroom environment (Burton, 2022). She further adds, ‘the types of tasks learners need to do
and the ways that people communicate have changed over the past 60 years, and they will
continue to change in the future’ (36:2022). The diversity of contexts reflects the diversity of
learners and the teaching communities. Multiplicity and complexity of classroom interactions are
not simply affected by pedagogic variables, rather they are influenced by social and cultural
factors emerging within the wider educational institutions and environments. Further, the
discussions of socio-cultural approach to methodology in an increasingly globalized pluralistic
setting go with recent trends in methodology for contextualizing instruction. The importance of
social relevance to methodology cannot be undermined in addressing some important social
concerns: In what ways methodology should be made socially relevant and inclusive? How can
methodology provide greater access to equitable opportunities for acquiring English proficiency?

The fundamental concerns of this conference would be to address certain issues pertinent to 21st
century education. The International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century
UNESCO (1993) raises two important concerns regarding the nature of education and students
activity in classroom: ‘What kind of English language education is needed for what kind of
society of tomorrow’ and ‘What do the students do in the classroom? In the context of
Appropriate Methodology and Social Context (1994) Holliday argues its relevance in the form of
much needed student’s activity in a class: Firstly, ‘what really happens between people in the
class’ (emphasis in original). Secondly, how can we shape the class as learner-centered in order
to meet the diverse communicative needs beyond the classroom? The most striking
communicative challenge is the issue of underprepared learners sharing common characteristics
such as ‘poor study habits, poor basic skills, and academic failure as the majority come from
impoverished financial as well as educational backgrounds’ (Cross cited in Hull & Rose, 1989).
Keeping in view the diversity of learning needs across different cultures, the conference would
provide an opportunity to share divergent thinking on issues and dimensions of the challenging
nature of classroom interaction, teaching method and best practices needed for developing
language abilities required for a range of social and cultural contexts. The issue of ‘best’
methodological practices needs rethinking in terms of Appropriate Methodology with a view to
evaluating methodologies developed for BANA (Britain, Australia, and North America) for ideal
teaching-learning contexts different from TESEP (Tertiary, secondary and Primary English
language Education) (Holliday, 1994) that suits diverse interdisciplinary contexts including
Emergent Bilingual learners(EBL). What is considered best for one context may not be the best
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Concept Note

for another context. While exploring best practices for teaching the English language, we need to
see how ‘best’ best practices are.

In view of the widespread ‘Learning Crisis’ ( WDR, 2018) and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, the conference aims to rethink the possibilities of teaching English in diverse
interdisciplinary contexts inclusive of socially, linguistically and economically disadvantaged
sections. Agenda 2030 should serve as a reminder of strides that need to be taken for plugging
learning gaps for combating inequality and mainstreaming the vulnerable and disadvantaged
groups. The World Development Report (WDR) (2018), Global Education Monitoring
Report(GEMR) (2021), and SDG4 suggest measures for rethinking learning-teaching
methodologies to help coordinate all relevant partners and stakeholders for a concerted action
plan to create opportunities for equitable and inclusive learning-teaching conditions.

Beneficiaries of the conference

There is a growing need for rethinking diversity education engaging researchers, policy
experts, policy makers, grassroots workers, migrant communities and a variety of stakeholders
such as ELT Policy makers and textbook editors, ELT Institutions and specialized agencies,
planners , administrators and consultants, industry and corporate sectors, teacher educators and
material developers and parents and community members. This would provide opportunities to
invite the attention of experts, ELT practitioners, and various stakeholders to deliberate on issues
related to differences in methodological appropriateness in interdisciplinary contexts.

Specific outcomes

1. The main outcome of the conference would be to streamline the process of student mobility in
the wake of globalization, internationalization and privatization of education. The conference
will invite ways to understand the diversity linked international student mobility. Moving from
CBCS to NEP 2020, the issue of diversity education proves an advantage to inter disciplinary
and trans-national mobility contexts and would facilitate multiple entry/exit option in higher
education by establishing an academic bank of credit.

2. The conference would analyze and recommend diversity based communicative needs in the
context of interdisciplinary aspects of curriculum. This would give a sociolinguistic orientation
to the global mobility of students, teachers, researchers, scientists and would strengthen the
connectivity between host and international institutions.

3. More specifically, the conference would create a network of literacy leaders, teacher-leaders
and teacher educators for providing greater equitable access to mentor support for diversity
education.

4. In keeping with NEP (2020) and NCF (2023), English language diversity education would
foster the development of literacy and network leaders dedicated to building inclusive, equitable
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and diverse opportunities in meeting the specific needs of the language learning communities
they serve. This would help fulfill the vision of Vikasit Barat in 2047.

5. Relevant technological support to methodological options will have high potential for
scalability and replicability in low-resource contexts.

6. Sociolinguistic diversity education data can provide linkage with the vision of school
education for programs strengthening teacher capacity for multilingual classrooms and for
attaining foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

7. Diversity education through NEP presents a unique opportunity to promote experiential

education, critical thinking skills, cultural exchanges besides also advocating reforms in curricula
and intercultural competence pedagogy. Finally, focusing on inclusion, this offers greater
opportunities for disability groups.

Policy implications

Sociolinguistic insights and their outcome in the form of appropriate methodology will be a
major policy initiative for mobility between host and international institutions. Discourses on
sociolinguistic and language use in classroom have recently shifted focus on sustainability,
inclusiveness, diversity and multiculturalism. Sociolinguistic diversity envisions the
interconnection between and among the cultural and social contexts related to the international
and national scenarios which would significantly strengthen institutional mechanism and
educational practices. Very little research has examined the connectivity between socio-linguistic
diversity and methodological perspectives and institutional practices.

1. Our institutional understanding of socio linguistic diversity will strengthen institutional

mechanism for rethinking methodological perspectives so as to promote inclusive and
holistic level of communication much needed in rural and remote areas.
2. Sociolinguistic insights will directly impact policy initiatives for student mobility in
transnational context in order to meet the requirements of globally linked credit transfer
in the wake of internationalization of education worldwide.
3. The conference will explore critical levers to enhance engaging discussions on building
learners' self-esteem, cultural identity, and autonomy across different cultures so as to
connect in-class and out-of-class communicative contexts with a view to building more
accessible spaces for training-employment connectivity.
4. Conference recommendations can be used by policymakers and practitioners to consider
a range of options to address implementation barriers for scaling up the much needed
technology based on methodological changes .
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Concept Note

The following broad themes will be covered in the conference.

1. Sociolinguistic Competence in the interdisciplinary Classroom: Agenda for future

research
2. International English in its sociolinguistic contexts
3. Diversity and Translanguaging in Language Education: Methodological
challenges
4. Constructivist Approaches to Teaching
5. Review of curricula: Syllabus and Materials Designing, Appropriate Methodology and
Assessment: Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Education Levels(PSTL)
6. Methodology in a technological Environment
7. Advances in AI Technology and Methodology
8. Technology-based strategies and diverse methodological practices
9. Open Education Resources, selection & Adaptation and Methodology
10. Mainstreaming interdisciplinary teaching Methodology for Equity concerns
11. Literacy Education for Marginalized EBLs’ (Emergent Bilingual Learners) Social, Cultural and
Academic inequities.
12. Teacher Education for Inclusive Pedagogy(PSTL)
13. Policy perspectives, Practice and ELT Planning: Methodological Challenges
14. Cross-cultural and methodological options in Second language pedagogy
15. Teaching literature and Appropriate Pedagogy(PSTL)
16. Instructional Methodology of language / literature teaching(PSTL)
17. Appropriate Pedagogical Strategies and Second language pedagogy: Speaking and Writing
18. Age/Grade Appropriate Pedagogy: Literature and Language perspectives. (PSTL)
19. Making Sense of Methodologies: BANA vs. TESEP
20. NEP (2020) and Appropriate Teaching Methodologies(PSTL)
21. Indian Knowledge system, teaching of Indian languages and English language: NEP 2020
22. Diverse contexts of Methodology , Communication Strategies and Institutional practices
23. Indian college Teachers’ / Learners’ beliefs about Pedagogy(PSTL)
24. Methodological constraints, Capacity building and Teacher Development (PSTL)
25. Language Diversity into Content-based Instruction (CBI) Methodology- Faculty of Social
Sciences, Arts, Sciences, Medicine, Agriculture, Law, Engineering and Tech, Commerce &
Management, Foreign Languages, Modern Indian Languages: Policy and Practices (PSTL)
26. Writing Across the Curriculum (content based approaches)
27. Teaching and ‘otherness’
28. Teaching and Spaces
29. Teaching Language as ‘affirmative sabotage’
30. Disability Studies: Language Learning & Teaching/ Teacher Education
31. CELTA/ DELTA Methodology
32. TESOL/TESL Methodology
33. Assessment and Methodology
34. Learning Crisis, Learning Deficits and Methodology
35. Methodology for Environment Education and language instruction.
36. ESP: English for Business/ EAP/EST
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PS: Participants are advised to stick to the themes given above for Abstract submission.

References

Burton, J. (2022). A Forum perspective 60 years of English language Teaching. English

Teaching Forum 60(2):30-38.

Dunn & Dunn, (1979). Learning styles/teaching styles: Should They..Can they.be matched?
Educational Leadership. 238: 244.

Holliday, A. (1994). Appropriate Methodology and Social Context. Cambridge, CUP.

Hull, G., & Rose, M. (1989). Rethinking and remediation: Toward a social-cognitive
understanding of problematic reading and writing. Written Communication, 6(2),139-154.

National Curriculum Framework for School Education. (2023). National Curriculum Framework
for School Education. NCERT .

National Education Policy. (2020). Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of

India.

The Hindu. (2022, August 02). Language as barrier: On making mother tongue the medium for
higher studies. The Hindu.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and cultural Organization). (2021). Global
Education Monitoring Report. (UNESCO), Paris.

World Bank. (2018). World Development Report: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise.
Washington DC, World Bank.