Objectives

• • To critically understand the ways in which socio-historical variations, curriculum developments and language attitudes interact with one another.

• • To compare and contrast the ways in which the relationship between policy and practice on language and citizenship education is enacted across these two specific contexts (England and Hong Kong).

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 5 critically examined the existing languages framework implemented in England drawing comparisons with other language curricula existent in other contexts. On the one hand, the framework in England draws on ideas of decentring, cultural comparison, intercultural understanding and appreciation. Yet, the explicit integration of citizenship is largely constrained to the preamble, rather than to the specific content. This chapter examines key policy documents, developing a more detailed understanding of the way language teaching is viewed in relation to citizenship in the context of England. The chapter then considers Hong Kong's English language curriculum, examining the extent to which the socio-cultural and sociohistorical differences across the contexts are reflected in the way language teaching is perceived. Each context presents an interesting case; England voted to leave the European Union, representing a shift away from a supra-national, regional union, while Hong Kong is moving towards union, transitioning from British governance, under the banner of ‘one country, two systems’, maintaining aspects of its sociopolitical character while responding also to changing political realities.

ENGLAND

England is viewed on the one hand as a melting pot of cultural diversity and on the other hand as isolationist (Orde 2015; Klaas and Dirsus 2016).