Welcome to Critical English Online. This site was originally a project of the Wilf Malcolm Institute for Research in Education and is hosted by the Faculty of Education at Waikato University, Hamilton, New Zealand.
We would like to point out that the word “Critical” is not meant to be off-putting. Rather it underlines one of the aims of this site which is to encourage thinking about issues and topics of concern to English teachers. It also makes a connection with Critical Theory, which suggests that constructions of “English” and “literacy” can serve the interests of some groups and marginalise the interests of others.
We would like this site to further the following goals:
- to support teachers who aspire to be critically reflective practitioners
- to encourage classroom-based research by English/literacy teachers
- to provide a forum for English/literacy teachers to communicate on issues of concern and to network with colleagues who share similar professional interests
- to locate English as a theorised practice with social justice implications on an international stage by incorporating international perspectives and encouraging communication by colleagues beyond national boundaries
- to provide selected links to resources that can help English/literacy teachers to reflect on their practice
Check out:
And these links to some professional English teaching associations worldwide:
- International Federation for the Teaching of English (IFTE)
- New Zealand Association for the Teaching of English (NZATE)
- Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE)
- National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE): England
- National Council for the Teaching of English (NCTE): United States