English as a School Subject: A Historical Analysis of English Curriculum Standards in Taiwan

• Published in: English teaching & learning Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 369 - 385
• Main Author: Ke, I-Chung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Education; Language Teaching; Original Paper; Teaching and Teacher Education; Global English; 台灣教育; Taiwan; 英語課程; Curriculum history; 學校科目; 全球英語; 課程史; EFL curriculum; School subject
• ISSN: 1023-7267; 2522-8560
• DOI: 10.1007/s42321-022-00135-4

Curriculum is not only a product of political and sociocultural negotiation but also a projection of the imaginary of an ideal society because it aims to educate students into citizens in an imaginary future world. The global spread of English in the past century has greatly impacted the curriculum in non-English-speaking countries. This study examines the roles of English in the curriculum imaginaries using a historical analysis of English curriculum standards and documents in Taiwan. Findings show that the roles of English in the curriculum have changed from a foreign elite language to an international, scientific, and communicative medium for global sustainable development. The evolvement of English in the curriculum suggests a trend of incorporating English as basic literacy as secondary schools gradually changed from elite to mass education. However, changes in the curriculum imaginaries have not been reflected in the total required weekly teaching hours of English in high school, junior high school, and elementary schools under different curriculum standards. Adjustments in policies are needed to bring the imaginaries closer to reality.