Quick-fix English: discontinuities in a language development aid project

Article

Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2009. "Quick-fix English: discontinuities in a language development aid project." English Teaching: Practice and Critique. 8 (1), pp. 97-111.
Article Title

Quick-fix English: discontinuities in a language development aid project

ERA Journal ID35666
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorTaylor-Leech, Kerry
Journal TitleEnglish Teaching: Practice and Critique
Journal Citation8 (1), pp. 97-111
Number of Pages15
Year2009
PublisherEmerald
Place of PublicationWaikato, New Zealand
ISSN1175-8708
Web Address (URL)http://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/files/2009v8n1nar2.pdf
Abstract

In this classroom narrative article I discuss some of my experiences as a teacher in an Australian government-funded English language development aid project during the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). The program formed part of an emergency response to the devastating violence that accompanied the Indonesian withdrawal from the country after 24 years of occupation. Using journal extracts based on my ethnographic research in East Timor, I outline some telling pedagogical and social disconnections that arose between the development community and the community it purported to serve. I note aspects of my experience that might be relevant to other language development aid projects in a post-colonial, globalising world.

KeywordsEast Timor; English; development aid; language in development; UNTAET
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390108. LOTE, ESL and TESOL curriculum and pedagogy
390401. Comparative and cross-cultural education
470401. Applied linguistics and educational linguistics
Public Notes

English Teaching: Practice and Critique articles are copyrighted by the respective authors.

http://edlinked.soe.waikato.ac.nz/research/journal/index.php?id=1

Byline AffiliationsMacquarie University
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/9z8q2/quick-fix-english-discontinuities-in-a-language-development-aid-project

Log in to edit

Download files

Published Version
Taylor-Leech_2009_PV.pdf
File access level: Anyone

  • 2395
    total views
  • 223
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Co-creating affirmative transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds
Tualaulelei, Eseta, Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Homer, Diana. 2024. "Co-creating affirmative transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds." 2024 Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) Research Symposium . 08 - 09 Feb 2024 Australia.
Trauma-informed, healing-centred: Co-creating affirmative environments for migrant and refugee children and families
Tualaulelei, Eseta, Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Fluckiger, Bev. 2023. "Trauma-informed, healing-centred: Co-creating affirmative environments for migrant and refugee children and families." ASSIST Journal. 3 (2), pp. 5-17.
Co-creating affirmative learning environments for refugee and asylum-seeker children
Taylor-Leech, Kerry, Tualaulelei, Eseta, Fluckiger, Bev and Waite, Michaela. 2023. Co-creating affirmative learning environments for refugee and asylum-seeker children. Australia. Griffith Institute for Educational Research.
Knowing who you are: Heritage language, identity and safe space in a bilingual kindergarten
Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Tualaulelei, Eseta. 2021. "Knowing who you are: Heritage language, identity and safe space in a bilingual kindergarten." Tesol in Context. 30 (1), pp. 63-83. https://doi.org/10.21153/tesol2021vol30no1art1581
Supporting early years transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds: A scoping review
Tualaulelei, Eseta, Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Fluckiger, Bev. 2022. "Supporting early years transitions for children with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds: A scoping review." Early Childhood Voices Conference (ECV2022). Bathurst, Australia 05 - 09 Dec 2022 Australia.
Building positive identities in a culturally safe space: an ethnographic case study from Queensland, Australia
Tualaulelei, Eseta and Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2021. "Building positive identities in a culturally safe space: an ethnographic case study from Queensland, Australia." Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education. 15 (2), pp. 137-149. https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2020.1852545
Amata lelei a'oga amata (A good start to learning): project summary report 27 August 2018 - 31 March 2019
Taylor-Leech, Kerry, Tualaulelei, Eseta and Krajcovicova, Monika. 2019. Amata lelei a'oga amata (A good start to learning): project summary report 27 August 2018 - 31 March 2019. Brisbane, Australia. Griffith University.
Nicknames in Australian secondary schools: insights into nicknames and adolescent views of self
Starks, Donna, Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Willoughby, Louisa. 2012. "Nicknames in Australian secondary schools: insights into nicknames and adolescent views of self." Ponsonnet, Maia, Dao, Loan and Bowler, Margit (ed.) 42nd Australian Linguistics Society Conference (ALS 2011): Applied Linguistics as a Meeting Place. Canberra, Australia 01 - 04 Dec 2011 Canberra, Australia.
Transnational literacies: second language literacy development in immigrant families of non english-speaking background
Taylor-Leech, Kerry Jane. 2012. "Transnational literacies: second language literacy development in immigrant families of non english-speaking background ." Ponsonnet, Maia, Dao, Loan and Bowler, Margit (ed.) 42nd Australian Linguistics Society Conference (ALS 2011): Applied Linguistics as a Meeting Place. Canberra, Australia 01 - 04 Dec 2011 Canberra, Australia.
Nicknames in Australian secondary schools: insights into nicknames and adolescent views of self
Starks, Donna, Taylor-Leech, Kerry Jane and Willoughby, Louisa. 2012. "Nicknames in Australian secondary schools: insights into nicknames and adolescent views of self ." Names: a journal of onomastics. 60 (3), pp. 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1179/0027773812Z.00000000019
Timor-Leste: finding appropriate spaces for indigenous vernacular languages in education
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2011. "Timor-Leste: finding appropriate spaces for indigenous vernacular languages in education ." May, Stephen (ed.) 3rd International Conference on Language, Education and Diversity (LED 2011). Auckland, New Zealand 22 - 25 Nov 2011 Auckland, New Zealand.
Mother tongue-based multilingual education for Timor-Leste: a new direction for language-in-education
Caet, Agustinho and Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2012. "Mother tongue-based multilingual education for Timor-Leste: a new direction for language-in-education ." Leach, Michael, Mendes, Nuno Canas, da Silva, Antero B., Boughton, Bob and Ximenes, Alarico da Costa (ed.) TLSA 2011: 3rd Timor-Leste Studies Association Conference: Communicating New Research on Timor-Leste . Dili, Timor-Leste 30 Jun - 01 Jul 2011 Melbourne, Australia.
Language choice as an index of identity: linguistic landscape in Dili, Timor-Leste
Taylor-Leech, Kerry Jane. 2012. "Language choice as an index of identity: linguistic landscape in Dili, Timor-Leste." International Journal of Multilingualism. 9 (1), pp. 15-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2011.583654
Now my hope is clear for building my future. How two young refugees build social connectedness
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2011. "Now my hope is clear for building my future. How two young refugees build social connectedness." Dashwood, Ann and Son, Jeong-Bae (ed.) Language, culture and social connectedness. Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 115-135
Language and identity in Timor-Leste
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2007. "Language and identity in Timor-Leste." Bardovi-Harlig, Kathleen (ed.) AAAL 2007 Annual Conference of the American Association of Applied Linguistics. Costa Mesa, California 21 - 24 Apr 2007 Marietta, GA. United States.
An introduction to language policy: theory and method by Thomas Ricento
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2008. "An introduction to language policy: theory and method by Thomas Ricento ." Current Issues in Language Planning. 9 (2), pp. 228-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664200802139513
Language, Culture and Identity by Philip Riley
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2009. "Language, Culture and Identity by Philip Riley ." Discourse and Communication. 3 (1), pp. 108-111. https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813090030010503
Issues in language planning and literacy by A. J. Liddicoat
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2009. "Issues in language planning and literacy by A. J. Liddicoat." Australian Review of Applied Linguistics. 32 (2), pp. 18.1-18.4. https://doi.org/10.2104/aral0918
The language situation in Timor-Leste
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2011. "The language situation in Timor-Leste." Kaplan, Robert B. and Baldauf Jr., Richard B. (ed.) Language planning in the Asia Pacific: Hong Kong, Timor-Leste and Sri Lanka. Oxford, United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 92-159
Timor-Leste: sustaining and maintaining the national languages in education
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2011. "Timor-Leste: sustaining and maintaining the national languages in education." Current Issues in Language Planning. 12 (2), pp. 289-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2011.589108
Multilingual Europe: Facts and Policies by Guus Extra and Durk Gorter
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2010. "Multilingual Europe: Facts and Policies by Guus Extra and Durk Gorter ." Language Policy. 9 (4), pp. 367-369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-010-9172-5
A mind-boggling, head-banging decision? Popular language policy discourses in East Timor
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2007. "A mind-boggling, head-banging decision? Popular language policy discourses in East Timor." ALAA 2007: Making a Difference - Challenges for Applied Linguistics. Wollongong, Australia 01 - 03 Jul 2007 Melbourne, Australia.
The global versus the local in East Timorese language policy and planning
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2006. "The global versus the local in East Timorese language policy and planning." 31st Annual Congress of the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia: Language and Languages: Global and Local Tensions. Brisbane, Australia 05 - 08 Jul 2006 Melbourne, Australia.
An impartial observer or an impassioned advocate? Researching language policy in East Timor
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2008. "An impartial observer or an impassioned advocate? Researching language policy in East Timor." Linguistics Research Seminar Series 2008. Sydney, Australia 31 Mar 2008 Sydney, Australia.
Pendulum swings in Australian language policy and planning since the 1990s
Taylor-Leech, Kerry and Baldauf Jr., Richard B.. 2010. "Pendulum swings in Australian language policy and planning since the 1990s." Baldauf, R. and Gitsaki, Christina (ed.) ALAA 2010: Future Directions in Applied Linguistics: Local and Global Perspectives. Brisbane, Australia 04 - 07 Jul 2010 Melbourne, Australia.
Perceptions of diversity in Australian language policy and planning since the 1990s
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2010. "Perceptions of diversity in Australian language policy and planning since the 1990s." Hayes, Anna and Mason, Robert (ed.) Migrant Security 2010: Citizenship and Social Inclusion in a Transnational Era. Toowoomba, Australia 15 - 16 Jul 2010 Toowoomba, Australia.
Issues and challenges in language policy research in Timor-Leste
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2008. "Issues and challenges in language policy research in Timor-Leste." AILA 2008: Multilingulaism: Challenges and Opportunities. Essen, Germany 24 - 29 Aug 2008 Essen, Germany.
Sustaining language policy and language rights in East Timor: where to from here?
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2007. "Sustaining language policy and language rights in East Timor: where to from here?" Kingsbury, Damien and Leach, Michael (ed.) East Timor: beyond independence. Melbourne, Australia. Monash University Publishing. pp. 239-249
The ecology of language reform in Timor-Leste: a language rights perspective
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2005. "The ecology of language reform in Timor-Leste: a language rights perspective." Studies in Languages and Cultures of East Timor. 7, pp. 13-35.
Language and identity in East Timor: the discourses of nation building
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2008. "Language and identity in East Timor: the discourses of nation building." Language Problems and Language Planning. 32 (2), pp. 153-180. https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.32.1.04tay
The ecology of language planning in Timor-Leste
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2005. "The ecology of language planning in Timor-Leste." Development Bulletin (Canberra).
The language situation in Timor-Leste
Taylor-Leech, Kerry. 2009. "The language situation in Timor-Leste." Current Issues in Language Planning. 10 (1), pp. 1-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664200802339840