English Language Teaching in the EU: An Introduction

This introductory chapter sets out the rationale, aims and the theoretical tenets that ultimately shape the organization of this edited volume. The chapter begins by providing an overview of the European Union (EU) in terms of its structure, key goals and specifically its language policy position. The chapter then moves on to establishing the need for an edited volume that focuses exclusively on the English Language Teaching (ELT) that is taking place at the current time across the EU. It then presents and summarizes the core underpinnings with which ELT in the EU today appears to be shaped by as evidenced in the chapters in the volume. The chapter concludes by providing a summary of the chapters and the unique contributions they make to understanding the complex and often multidimensional concept of ELT that exists in the region at the present time.