Argentina

From The Handbook of World Englishes, ed. Kachru, Kachru and Nelson 2006
Blackwell

Chap 9 South American Englishes Kanavillil Rajagopolan

Referring to the emerging role of English in Argentina, Eayrs (2000) observes:

Traditionally something of a national joke, the importance of English at all levels of
Argentine life is now indisputable. Despite the development of Mercosur [the South
American common market with Brazil and Argentina as major players], it is a
knowledge of English that middle and upper class Argentines aspire to rather than
Portuguese (and in neighboring Brazil the first L2 is English rather than Spanish).
[p. 147]

In countries like Brazil [cite], Argentina [cite] and Chile [cite]the continents
major playersthe presence of English is noticeable practically everywhere, from
newspaper advertisements to billboards and shop windows. [p. 151]

from The Oxford Guide to World English

Tom McArthur
Oxford University Press, 2002

English is the second most widely spoken language in Argentina. It reaches us through a
varied range of teaching methods and teaching institutions and through the influence of
the mediacable television, music and advertising. This influence and its globalized use
have transformed the learning of English from a need into a must.Year after year,
there has been a significant increase in the number of candidates sitting fro the TOEFL
and Cambridge examinationsArgentina perseveres in strengthening its connection with
the English-speaking world, equally hosting British and Americans in a permanent effort
to overcome the language barrier.
- Graciela Clelia Moyano, English in Argentina, English Today 49 (13.1) Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press), 38-9 as quoted in The Oxford Guide to World English
Tom McArthur
Oxford University Press, 2002 [p. 243]
Abstract from ELT and Bilingual Education in Argentina (2007)
[see .pdf file Argentina-ELT & BiLingual Education in Argentina]

Agustina Tocalli-Beller3
(3) The University of Toronto, Canada
Abstract
The English language has a long history and prestigious status in Argentina. Its presence
as a foreign language is closely linked to the birth of the country as a nation. As a
consequence, the teaching of English has always been widely encouraged in Argentina.
Today, English is part of the curriculum of private and state-run schools. Within the
private sector, there is a large number of bilingual schools, some of which were
established as ethnic schools by the first English settlers in the 19th century. The success
of the first bilingual schools has encouraged many other schools to copy, to varying
degrees, their bilingual curriculum and thus create a large network of English-Spanish
schools in the country. Education in Argentina has undergone extensive changes in the
last decade. The new Federal Law of Education of 1996 has had a special impact on the
teaching of foreign languages. Based on this law, English is now compulsory in all
Argentine schoolsa clear sign of the governments recognition of the importance of
mastering the worlds lingua franca. In this chapter, the implementation of the new
education law and its impact on the teaching of English in public schools is discussed.

(from the INTRODUCTION)

The English language has a long history and prestigious status in Argentina. Its presence
as a foreign language dates from the early years and is closely linked to the birth of the
country as a nation. As a consequence, the study of Enghsh has always been widely
encouraged in Argentina.

Today Enghsh is part of the curriculum of all schools in the coimtry. In this sense, special
attention must be paid to the 1993 educational reform, one of the premises of which
claims "a systematic-linguistic construct for language development, which is able to
accommodate mother tongue acquisition, second and foreign languages, pidgin and
Creole varieties, alongside Enghsh as a global language" (Direccion General de
Investigacion y DesarroUo Educativo, 1998a, 1998b). Following the distinction by the
linguist Braj Kachru (1985), we can say in Crystal's (1997) words that Argentina belongs
to the expanding circle "which
recognises the importance of Enghsh as an international language though they do not
have a colonization by members of the inner group (UK, USA, etc.), nor have given
English special administrative status" (p. 54).
http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-information-background-argentina.htm

3/08 there are approximately 4,853,000 students of English as a foreign language.

This includes 4,100,000 at schools and another 753,000 who study English at
other institutions. English is widely spoken by university students.

The British Council was established in Argentina 1942 (with a closure between 1982 and
1991 due to the Falklands war). There is one centre in Buenos Aires. Through a range of
collaborative projects in education and English language teaching, including the DfES
Teachers International Professional Development scheme (TIPD), SLANT and Ingls
Ingles English, we have created and maintained contacts between ministry officials and
schools in the UK and Argentina.

The Ingls Ingles English regional project aims at improving the quality of English
language teaching in Latin America through the offer of professional development
opportunities and expansion of professional networks for English teachers. This includes
training primary school English language teachers in the province of Tucumn and the
Hornby regional schools held in Argentina in 2008/ 09.

We also target English language teachers and learners nationally through a variety of
collaborative activities to improve skills and learning opportunities. UK ELT specialists
have received our support to participate in conferences in Argentina and to work with
higher education institutions and teacher associations. We provide classroom materials,
many of which are developed through our literature and science programmes.
http://elf.georgetown.edu/projects/ay08-09projects/Americas/full_description.html

Argentina
City National University of Cordoba/IICANA BNC Cordoba
Host Institution Cordoba City
Type of Project Fellow
Project Dates September 2008 - June 2009

Project Focus
English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing,
Materials Development, Teacher Training

Project Description
The Faculty of Languages at the National University of Cordoba (UNC) offers a five-year
undergraduate program to obtain a degree as an English Language Teacher, and a three-
year graduate program (Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics, Masters Degree in
Anglo-American Literature, and a PhD in English Language Studies). The EL Fellow will
spend 90% of his/her time at the Faculty of Languages working in these academic
undergraduate and graduate programs. In the undergraduate program, the EL Fellow will
help prepare pre-service training materials and workshops in Second Language
Acquisition. Topics can include materials development, methodology, peer observation,
using textbooks communicatively, classroom management, and improving the teachers
own language skills. The EL Fellow may also conduct conversation or writing tutorials
with advanced students who will become high school teachers upon graduation. In the
graduate program, the EL Fellow will focus primarily on Writing. S/he will conduct
workshops for students who are writing theses and dissertations. Most of these theses and
dissertations deal with topics related to English Language Teaching (Writing process,
Teacher Training, Materials Design, Curriculum Development, and American Literature
and Culture.) When time permits, the EL Fellow will give in-service training workshops
to teachers in the UNCs English training department. Sample topics will include: dealing
with large classes, motivating students, and improving the teachers' English language
skills. During the three-month semester break (December - March) at the University, the
EL Fellow will do project work at the binational center (BNC) in Cordoba. These projects
will be subject to the skills and interest areas of the EL Fellow, but may include
developing materials, teaching writing skills, or developing Content Based Instruction,
such as teaching leadership skills through English. When time allows, s/he may offer
workshops or seminars for EFL teachers in and around Cordoba city.

Project Objectives
The National University of Cordoba is one of the few universities in Argentina that offers
undergraduate and graduate teacher training programs in the area of English teaching. An
EL Fellow would provide crucial assistance in developing and strengthening this program
to the point that it could serve as a model in the future for implementation at other public
universities in the country. Teachers graduating from this program are sorely needed at
public schools, mainly at the secondary level, where the English language learners
typically are not successful in even basic communication upon graduation. This is a huge
concern in all educational government offices and priority number one for the new
Minister of Education. An EL Fellow would have a significant impact by enabling new
English language teachers to graduate with improved skills and better knowledge to teach
young learners. An EL Fellow would be a tremendous contribution from the US
Government to the Government of Argentinas educational system, and this particularly
important as the USG seeks to improve relations with the new Argentine government.
This would be a strong step forward to bringing American English and culture to public
schools as in the eighteenth century, when Horace Mann recruited US teachers from
Boston to help former President Sarmiento establish the first public schools in Argentina.
The host institutions expect that the EL Fellow will meet the specific teaching objectives,
and daily interaction with an American will foster mutual understanding and help
Argentine youth to break negative stereotypes about the US.

About the Host Institution

The National University of Cordoba (UNC) was the first university established in
Argentina by the Jesuits. The university has an excellent reputation, and it is located in
Argentinas second largest city. It is the first Argentine university to have a female
President. The Faculty of Language created 10 years ago, and it offers a five-year
undergraduate program to obtain a degree in English Language Teacher and three
graduate level degrees (Masters in Applied Linguistics, Masters in Anglo-American
Literature, and PhD in English Language Studies). This Faculty has an enrollment of
9,000 students who study 14 different languages including Spanish as a foreign
languageand 80% study English Language to become teachers. The UNC in general
and the Faculty of Languages (English Language Programs) in particular have a long
history in cultural programming in cooperation with the US Embassy and the Binational
Center in Cordoba. Many EL teachers at the Faculty are former Fulbright grantees and or
have done graduate study in the US.

IICANA is the binational center (BNC) in Cordoba city. It is one of the largest and oldest
BNCs in Argentina. It was founded in 1931, and it has an enrollment of 4,000 students
(including at several nearby branches). The BNC offers other services to the community
like student advising, visa information, library services, and it is a testing center for the
University of Michigan exams, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc. The BNC Academic Director and
most of the 30 English language teachers on the staff got their degrees from the Faculty
of Languages, National University of Cordoba. Additionally, they also teach at this
Faculty. There is a good relationship among the faculty teachers and the BNC.
http://elf.georgetown.edu/projects/ay09-10projects/WHA/index.html

Argentina
City Crdoba
Host Institution National University of Cordoba/BNC Cordoba
Type of Project Fellow
Project Dates March December 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements

Argentine law allows for the EL Fellow to enter the country on a 90-day tourist visa. At
the end of each 90-day period, the Fellow must exit Argentina to renew this visa. As the
duration for the Fellowship is for a total of 10 months, s/he will have to renew his/her
visa 3 times. The US Embassy will cover costs incurred for visa renewal.

Project Focus
American Culture, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking,
English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques

Project Description
The EL Fellow will spend 85% of his/her time at the Faculty of Languages at the
National University of Cordoba (UNC) working in the academic undergraduate and
graduate programs. In the undergraduate program, the EL Fellow will help prepare pre-
service training materials and workshops in Second Language Acquisition. Topics can
include materials development, methodology, peer observation, using textbooks
communicatively, classroom management, and improving the teachers' own language
skills. The EL Fellow may also conduct conversation or writing tutorials with advanced
students who will become high school teachers upon graduation. In the graduate
program, the EL Fellow will focus primarily on Writing. S/he will conduct workshops for
students who are writing theses and dissertations. Most of theses dissertations deal with
topics related to English Language Teaching (Writing Process, Teacher Training,
Materials Design, Curriculum Development, and American Literature and Culture).
When time permits, the EL Fellow will give in-service training workshops to teachers in
the UNC's English training department. Sample topics can include: dealing with large
classes, motivating students, and improving the teachers' English language skills. The
Faculty of Languages at the National University of Cordoba (UNC) offers a five-year
undergraduate program to obtain a degree as an English Language Teacher, and a three-
year graduate program (Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics, Master's Degree in
Anglo-American Literature, and a PhD in English Language Studies).

Secondary project duties will include working with: Workshops/Seminars. During the
winter semester break (July) at the University or as time permits, the EL Fellow will do
project work at the binational center (BNC) in Cordoba. These projects will be subject to
the skills and interest areas of the EL Fellow, but may include developing materials,
conducting teacher training sessions, or assessing the needs of the BNC to determine
ways of strengthening its English teaching programs. S/he will spend 15% of his/her time
on projects at the BNC.
Project Objectives
The National University of Cordoba is one of the few universities in Argentina that offers
undergraduate and graduate teacher training programs in the area of English teaching. An
EL Fellow would provide crucial assistance in developing and strengthening this program
to the point that it could serve as a model in the future for implementation at other public
universities in the country. Teachers graduating from this program are sorely needed at
public schools, mainly at the secondary level, where the English language learners
typically are not successful in even basic communication upon graduation. This is a huge
concern in all educational government offices and priority number one for the new
Minister of Education. An EL Fellow would have a significant impact by enabling new
English language teachers to graduate with improved skills and better knowledge to teach
young learners. An EL Fellow would be a tremendous contribution from the US
Government to the Government of Argentina's educational system, and this is particularly
important as the USG seeks to improve relations with the Argentine government. This
would be a strong step forward to bringing US English language and culture to public
schools as in the eighteenth century, when Horace Mann recruited US teachers from
Boston to help former President Sarmiento establish the first public schools in Argentina.
The host institutions expect that the EL Fellow will meet the specific teaching objectives;
daily interaction with an American will foster mutual understanding and help diminish
negative stereotypes Argentine youth may have about the US.

About the Host Institution

The National University of Cordoba (UNC) was the first university established in
Argentina by the Jesuits. The university has an excellent reputation, and it is located in
Argentina's second largest city. It is the first Argentine university to have a female
president. The Faculty of Languages was created ten years ago. It offers a five-year
undergraduate program to obtain a degree in English Language Teaching and three
graduate level degrees (Master's in Applied Linguistics, Master's in Anglo-American
Literature, and a PhD in English Language Studies). This Faculty has an enrollment of
9,000 students who study 14 different languages including Spanish as a foreign language;
80% of those who study English go on to become teachers. The UNC in general and the
Faculty of Languages (English Language Programs) in particular have a long history in
cultural programming in cooperation with the US Embassy and the Binational Center in
Cordoba. Many EL teachers at the Faculty are former Fulbright grantees and/or have
done graduate study in the US.

IICANA is the binational center (BNC) in Cordoba city. It is one of the largest and oldest
BNCs in Argentina. It was founded in 1931, and has an enrollment of 4,000 students
(including at several nearby branches). The BNC offers other services to the community,
such as student advising, visa information, and library services. It is also a testing center
for the University of Michigan exams, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc. The BNC Academic Director
and most of the 30 English language teachers on the staff received their degrees from the
Faculty of Languages, National University of Cordoba. Additionally, they teach at this
Faculty. There is a good relationship between the faculty teachers and the BNC.