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NELLE: Portrait of a European Network
Author(s) -
Goethals Michaël
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
world englishes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.6
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-971X
pISSN - 0883-2919
DOI - 10.1111/1467-971x.00046
Subject(s) - lingua franca , acronym , european union , political science , grassroots , politics , pedagogy , international communication , position (finance) , public relations , sociology , linguistics , business , law , philosophy , finance , economic policy
NELLE, as an acronym, originally stood for ‘Networking English Language Learning in Europe’ but now equally means ‘Networking European Language Learning in English’. It is the professional umbrella organization, actively networking all forms of local, regional, national and international associations, organisations, institutions, activities and actions concerned with English and other language teaching in European countries (NELLE brochure, 1996: 1). NELLE was founded in 1988 as a fairly informal initiative to prepare for the 1992 European Union, a Europe without boundaries, with attention focused on the position of English as an international language, as a lingua franca , as a means of international communication. In the meantime it has grown into a network of considerable importance. At the present time, NELLE links 45 member associations in 22 European countries, NELLE aims of first priority are: cooperation among the grassroots teachers and with national and international associations (IATEFL, TESOL, FIPLV, etc.); international orientation, exchange of experience and expertise between regular teachers and in‐company teachers/trainers and between native‐speaker teachers and non‐native speaker teachers; teacher development; and professional quality standards. Its history and present (political and pedagogical) concerns and activities will be surveyed.