R. E. A. FORUM

The members of the Editorial Staff and Committee invite the readers of Religious Education to participate in the Forum. Let us know what you think about the articles appearing in the journal. If you feel we are over‐emphasising some fields and under‐emphasising others — tell us. If you feel that we are failing to get at some of the things we should be handling, discuss them through this section of the journal. We will welcome your cooperation and participation.     

Project R.A.C.E.

Abstract

Learning by doing may not be the most effective strategy for teaching environmental problem-solving skills. A survey of Michigan educators indicates that of the teaching strategies listed, case studies and talking about what others do to solve environmental problems are the most important. The implications of building familiarity with environmental issues and solutions from a variety of examples are discussed, and an explanation for the reported low success of classroom action projects is presented.     

The Forum

A discussion of globalization is presented that focuses on the pros and cons of English spread. The postcolonial theoretical basis for promoting the status of second-language varieties of English, and how this impacts on the foreign-language speaker of English in the European Union, is investigated. Three primary factors, linguistic Anglo-Americanization, the decline of standard British English as an educational norm, and the monoculturalization that accompanies English language learning, are addressed. While the spread of English is beneficial in some respects, Anglo-Americanization is seen as threatening to the social and cultural integrity of non-native speakers of English. The construction of identity within foreign-language learning, of importance to learners of English worldwide, is discussed. It is held that a theoretically neutral program for English, which is growing out of the Euro-English and English as an international language paradigms, is the best possible platform for the teaching and learning of English.