In several countries of the world, English is the only official language. In other countries it is one of two or more official languages. South Africa is one such country. In both cases, English is taught at school as a subject, and it is also the language of learning or the medium of communication for other subjects.

In many other countries, although English is not one of the official languages, it is nevertheless regarded as very important and prestigious. In some of these countries, it is offered as an optional subject at school, and many adults make an effort to learn it as well.

This chapter focuses mainly on the teaching of English in countries where it is an official language, but it also introduces some of the issues involved in teaching English in a multilingual environment.

English as a School Subject

What exactly is the subject ‘English? The answer to this question may seem obvious, but in fact there are several ways of defining and constituting the subject. One answer to the question may be found in syllabus and curriculum descriptions, which indicate how the subject is defined by the educational authorities.

The ‘Personal Growth’ View

Griffith (1992:94) quotes and compares two official government statements about the subject ‘English’ as it is perceived in Britain. The first of these is the ‘personal growth’ view.

This view of the subject ‘English’ sees it as ‘a tool for learning', which, according to Griffith, ‘underscores a humanist commitment to a process of growth and development with no immediate practical outcomes'. In this view, the study of English leads to ‘personal growth'. (The word humanist implies that the individual human being is the focus of the educational process, and is treated as a rational being.) The study of literature plays an important role in this ‘personal growth’ approach to English.

Associated with this view is the ‘romantic’ conception that many English teachers have of the subject they teach (Carter in Hall and Hewings 2001:88): ‘Until recently, teachers’ views have been regularly dominated by what are described as ‘romantic’ conceptions of English as a subject.