SLA RESEARCH ON SELF-DIRECTION: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES



STATE EDUCATION

ELEMENTARY     ----- ------ ------

age: 6-12

SECONDARY
age: 13-15

-English

-compulsory

-reading

- 3 levels

-institutional syllabus

-low status subject (-)

-low grades (difficult)
same textbook

-pre-service GTT

-pre-service LTT

-poor command of TL

-NN teachers

PREPARATORY
age: 16-18

-EnglishZFrench-teacher∕school syllabus

-compulsory    -low status subject (-)

-reading       -good grades (easy)

-3 levels        -different textbook and

teacher's materials

-no GTT

-in-service LTT

-poor to good command

-N and NN teachers

UNIVERSITY
(undergraduates
and
postgraduates)
age: 19-

-English
and others

-no compulsory
-ESP
-self-instruction
- all levels from
elementary to
proficiency

-school syllabus

-high status subject

-low-high grades

-same textbook and
supplementary
materials

-no GTT

-pre∕in-service LTT

-good command of TL

-N and NN teachers

GTT= general teacher training, LTT= language teacher training, TL= target language
ESP= English for specific purposes, N= native, NN= non-native.

Fig. 2.3 Language teaching system in Mexico

The situation of preparatory schools is similar to the secondary school in some
aspects but also different in others, and it is more or less the same in most parts of the
country. English as a subject is compulsory in one or two of the three years. This is a third or
less of the teaching hours in secondary school. There is not a national syllabus at this level;
therefore each school, or in some cases each teacher, decides on the content and
methodology of the course. The nature of the materials and textbooks is varied, as are the
teachers' lessons and exams. Although the status of the subject remains the same, that is,
English is still regarded as a non-important subject, it is not a difficult one at this level. The
grades are high and it is fairly easy to be passed. The reason for the difference between

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