It came as a surprise to me, after an extensive Google search and reading of numerous policies, that English, and more specifically Standard Australian English, is not the official language of Australia (ACARA, 2016c; Lo Bianco, 1987). There are examples cited by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (1999) that state, 'English is regarded as…

The revised Technology Curriculum for years 1-13 now includes two Digital Technologies areas: 'computational thinking for Digital Technologies' and 'designing and developing digital outcomes'. By 2020, all schools are expected to address these curriculum additions. This article outlines some of the background stated purposes for introducing this…

While references to the Treaty of Waitangi and/or biculturalism are an accepted part of the New Zealand education policy landscape, there is often a lack of consensus around the meaning, and therefore the practice implications, of the term 'biculturalism'. This difficulty can be explained by viewing biculturalism as a discourse that has continued…

Discusses the overall role of languages in Europe, focusing on the relevance of second language instruction to all pupils, multilingualism, the role of English, minority languages, languages and culture, language teaching methodologies, nationalism and internationalism, and the national curriculum for modern foreign languages in England and Wales.…

Explores the implications of requirements in England's National Curriculum for English to develop students' ability to write standard English. Examines the use of nonstandard dialect grammar in students' writing. Finds that similar dialectical constructs are used in four regions and that they are used more frequently in speech than in writing.…

Metalinguistic awareness is discussed in terms of the new national curriculum in English language education in Great Britain. A chronology is presented of events surrounding national curriculum legislation that prompted controversy in Britain concerning the teaching of the English language. One result of this legislation has been the creation of…