1. ENGLISH IN COLOMBIA: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PROFILE
GLORIA VELEZ RENDON
ENGLISH IN COLOMBIA:
A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PROFILE

2. ISSUES THE USERS OF ENGLISH THE USES OF ENGLISH
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH

3. THE USERS OF ENGLISH IN COLOMBIA
Most of them are concentrated in the largest cities
People study it because it is required at the workplace/foreign trade
Requirement for admission in universities abroad
Opportunities to study abroad/exchange programs/T.V/Internet/family vacations abroad

4. THE USES OF ENGLISH
- Taught in the classroom/medium of instruction General law of Education:
Mandatory at the secondary, university and the elementary level.
University proficiency tests are required.
Efforts of the Ministry of Education
COFE project (Colombian framework
for English) 1991
The Program of Bilingualism and
Information technology 1997

5. -A widening gap between private and public school/ private middle high –upper social
classes have access
All-round-subject teachers
Methodology: repetition/memorization
Public school EFL teachers: .law proficiency
.lack of support
.lack of resourses
. low morale
.overcrowded
classrooms
. low salaries

6. English symbol of prestige and modernity/
The media: american films/rock-pop music
Its use in advertising- names for business/clothes brand names.
The deliberate insertion of English words in newspapers/magazines
Spanish has borrowed words (scientific and technological domains): software, modem
Adoption of new attitudes: light, gay.
Loanwords accepted by the Colombian language academy in 2001 such as: Jazz, look, rating, outsourcing.

7. ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH
Students’ perceptions are ambivalent
Possitive perceptions
Negative perceptions
Development
Progress
Modernity
prosperity
Exploitation
Oppresion
Domination
imperialism

8. 1996-1997 Deterioration of the relationship between the U
Deterioration of the relationship between the U.S and Colombia
Stronger presence of the British Council in Colombia in the last few years.
Services offered by the British Council: English language teaching/teacher training/English language test administration consultancy/ British textbook marketing/study abroad
. English is viewed as an imposition an a bothersome requisite to be met.
. One of the most disliked subjects by high school students in public schools.(Gonzalez, 1996)

9. Enthusiastic attitude by students in informal contexts
Enthusiastic attitude by students in informal contexts. They choose to study the language and experience a need for using it.
CONCLUSIONS
-The role of English is expanding at a fast pace.
English is needed at the workplace and in the academic domain.
We need further empirical research to create pedagogical responses more appropriate for the country.

10. Analysis research is needed to create effective and locally constructed responses to the needs of Colombian learners and users.
Research on attitudes towards English is needed. How these attitudes affect the learning process.

11. Velez (2003) citing Freire (1992) states: “ This is all the most relevant in a country torn by social injustice and with an elitist Educational system that provides access to quality language education to a priviledged few while denying it to the rest. English language education, or any kind of education needs to be a vehicle for transformation and empowerment for all”.