In April we published our new book The Future of English: Global Perspectives. Alongside this we launched our Future of English travelling exhibition with the aim to continue gathering global perspectives and encourage conversation as the exhibition travelled the world. Highlighting some of the key facts and themes from the book, the exhibition takes you on a journey. Starting with our Map Wall you will learn about some of the key findings from the book, exploring eight key facts and figures from the publication through hotspots and figures that highlight perspectives across different regions.
Next, you can dive into the conversation further as you are taken through the perspectives of individuals from around the world as they talk about English in their contexts. This part of the exhibition focuses on three key themes: English in the community, English at work, and English in technology and education.
English in the community is about English in several different contexts. Your community may be your family or friends. It could be the people in your town or village. But it could also be on a bigger scale such as the use of English within a country or even how you use it globally. For example, Ivan, one of our interviewees, is an English teacher in Ukraine. Ivan tells us about the importance of English when the war broke out in Ukraine. The first thing they did was reach out to other countries for support and English, as the common language and lingua franca, was crucial. Najah, on the other hand, talks about the importance of English for empowering girls in rural communities in Nigeria. The ability to speak English gives girls a voice in areas where the education of the boys is often prioritised.
English for work is changing. This is explored further in the exhibition, including an interview with one of the book’s authors, Mina Patel. English is often the language of communication at work, particularly in international businesses and organisations. However, the level of English and the type of English is becoming more dependent on ones role and the needs within a work environment. This is beginning to be reflected with the increase in vocational English language courses.
Finally, we explore the use of technology and its impact on English language learning. Philip in Nigeria talks about the importance of SD cards and WhatsApp for the English and Digital for Girls’ Education (EDGE) project, and Nikhil from TATA discusses the innovative technology they are using in assessment.
The exhibition concludes with a survey in which we ask you to ‘have your say’. Live data from the results are displayed before you, allowing you to see what others have said globally. This data will feed into future research as the Future of English programme develops in the coming years. So far, the exhibition has been hosted in London, Sao Paulo and Hanoi. It will later make an appearance at several events in India. We hope to bring the exhibition to more locations globally and look forward to gathering more perspectives.