ELT Material and Ideology
The Marxist theorist Stuart Hall once said that no one exists outside ideology, that we all in a sense live in a certain ideological realm where we follow certain rules, norms and beliefs (cited in Gray, 2015). Drawing from this realization, I wonder how does ideology play a role in the field of ELT and especially in creating and designing educational materials?
From a Marxist perspective for example, the society consists of two parts. The first part is called the base which adapts a certain ideology, be it Marxist or Capitalist or any other. This base dominates the other part which is the superstructure. The latter has many facets like the family, the police, religion and schools. These entities reflect the ideology of the base and in return reinforce that ideology. For example, the schools (in most cases in the third world) have to follow a certain ideology and cultural identity where the learners need to interpellate. The main narrative and discourse of the adopted ideology reverberate in the school textbooks as a means to deliver and assert the cultural identity and thought of that certain group, and this raises many questions.
I expect from this module ( TE714 – English Language Teaching Materials) to shed that light on the process of material making in the light of ideology, and which framework should the designers follow. Also, how do the issues of identity and culture play a role in deciding which aspect to include and which to exclude in terms of other cultures? Of course, there are some frameworks that focus on the pedagogical aspect of learning the language when it comes to designing material, but I believe that ideology and culture are extremely sensitive factors in the process of creating ELT material.
Since no one is outside ideology, what goes in the mind of the material makers as they create the course books? Can the course book be value-free and just focus on the pedagogical aspect? These are some question that I expect I will find the answers for as I progress more in the module.
