Why History (of ELT)? Whose History?
A talk by Professor Richard Smith in the University of ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Department of Applied Linguistics seminar series, 21st June 2023

PowerPoint slides (as pdf)Link opens in a new window
References and links
1. Foundations
1.1 Why history? (1): Personal motivations
(Richard Smith)
'Harold E. Palmer, IRLT and "historical sense" in ELT',Link opens in a new window by Richard Smith (2013). IRLT Journal 12: 1-8 (Journal of the Institute for Research in Language Teaching, Tokyo: Special issue to celebrate the Institute's 90th anniversary).
. PhD thesis by Richard Smith (2004), Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Edinburgh.
1.2 Why history? (2): Preliminary arguments
Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching by H.H. Stern (1983). Oxford University Press. (1983).
TESOL Techniques and Procedures by J. Donald Bowen, Harold Madsen and Ann Hilferty. (1985). Newbury House.
‘A matter of time’ by Alan Maley (2001). English Teaching Professional 18: 5–9.
1.3 Laying foundations (1): From Edinburgh to the ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ ELT Archive
A History of English Language Teaching by A.P.R. Howatt. Published by Oxford University Press in 1984 / 2004 (2nd edition, with H.G. Widdowson).
4 sets (22 volumes in total) of reissued works with Routledge, on the late 19th-century Reform Movement (2000, 5 volumes), 19th-century innovators (2002), both sets co-edited by A.P.R. Howatt and Richard Smith; and on 'Pioneers of ELT' (2003, 5 volumes) and ' (2005, 6 volumes), edited by Richard Smith.
The ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ ELT Archive websiteLink opens in a new window
1.4 Laying foundations (2): Establishing an ELT (UK) 'tradition'
(OUP website, 2007) & (ELT Journal 75/1: 4–13), by Richard Smith
, by A.P.R. Howatt and Richard Smith (2014). Language and History 57/1: 75-95.
1.5 Laying foundations (3): HELT as part of HoLLT
Special issue of Language & History (57/1) on , co-edited by Nicola McLelland and Richard Smith (2014).
Special issue of The Language Learning Journal (46/1) on co-edited by Richard Smith and Nicola McLelland (2018).
, 3 volumes (Vol. I: 16th-18th Century Europe Vol. II: 19th-20th Century Europe; Vol. III: Across Cultures), co-edited by Nicola McLelland and Richard Smith (2018). Legenda (for the Modern Humanities Research Association).
1.6 Laying foundations (4): HoLLT research as part of Applied Linguistics
, by Richard Smith (2016). Applied Linguistics 37/1: 71-87.
'History of language teaching and applied linguistics' by Richard Smith (2021), in Coombe, C. & Mohebbi, H. (eds.) Research Questions in Language Education and Applied Linguistics: A Reference Guide. Springer, 743–747.
2. A turning-point
'Teaching in Difficult Circumstances revisited – again?!Link opens in a new window Inaugural professorial lecture by Richard Smith (2023).
3. What to build from now?
3.1 Building HELT 'in its own right' – attracting interest
Webinar series (27 May-10 June 2023): Organized by Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA) in association with the A.S. Hornby Educational Trust and the ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ ELT Archive.
3.2 Mainstreaming history – towards stronger arguments
, by Duncan Hunter and Richard Smith (2012). ELT Journal 66/4: 430-439.
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2013). Techniques and principles in language teaching (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Harmer, J. (2014). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson.
3.3 Countering scientism and coloniality through history
Keynote paper on 'The role of historiography in decentring ELT' by Richard Smith (2018). ELTAI National Seminar on 'English Language Education: Theory and Practice', University of Hyderabad, India.
3.4 Building History of Applied Linguistics (HoAL)
by Richard Smith (2011). ±á¾±²õ³Ù´Ç¾±°ù±ð&²Ô»å²¹²õ³ó;·¡±è¾±²õ³Ùé³¾´Ç±ô´Ç²µ¾±±ð&²Ô»å²¹²õ³ó;³¢²¹²Ô²µ²¹²µ±ð 33/1: 53-67.
3.5 Engaging in grounded history (focusing on contexts and practice)
co-edited by S. Doff and R. Smith (2022). Amsterdam University Press. Introduction: 'Valorizing practice in twentieth-century language learning and teaching' (pre-publication version), pp. 11–21.
co-edited by Richard Smith and Tim Giesler (in press). Benjamins
3.6 Focus on neglected voices
Blog post by Richard Smith (2021).
Women in the History of Language Learning and Teaching, co-edited by Sabine Doff, Giovanni Iamartino and Sabine Doff (forthcoming). Amsterdam University Press.
3.7 Histories of English Language Education (HELE) in different contexts
HELE in Japan -
'Lessons from the past: traditions and reforms' Link opens in a new windowby Richard Smith, with Imura Motomichi (2004). In Makarova, V. and T. Rodgers (eds.) English Language Teaching: The Case of Japan. Munich: Lincom Europa.
HELE in Germany -
e.g. Klippel, Friederike. (1994) Englischlernen im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert: Die Geschichte der Lehrbücher und Unterrichtsmethoden. Münster: Nodus.
See also Giesler, Tim (2019) 'Munich works: German perspectives on the history of language learning and teaching'. Language & History 62/3: 265-269.
HELE in India -
Language Policy and Education in India: Documents, Contexts and Debates, co-edited by M. Sridhar and Sunita Mishra (2017). Abingdon: Routledge.
HELE-India research group: contact Prof. Amol Padwad, Centre for English Language Education, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi.
3.8 Developing resources and activities for teacher education
(2021) – ​video-based materials, from a University of Nottingham / King's College London project supported by HoLLT.net and other partners.
Programme: Congrès International inter-associations - Histoire de l’Enseignement des Langues International / Inter-association Conference - History of Language Teaching: - Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais | campus de Gambelas, 28-30 junho 2023
Key to abbreviations
HELT = History of English Language Teaching [ELT is conceived of here as supposedly 'global' ELT, as promoted from the UK]
HELE = History/ies of English Language Education [conceived of here as varying according to (e.g. national) educational contexts and requirements]
HoLLT = History of Language Learning and Teaching
HoAL = History of Applied Linguistics (and of theories/theorization of language teaching before the establishment of Applied Linguistics as a discipline)
IRLT = Institute for Research in Language Teaching (Tokyo), successor to IRET (Institute for Research in English Teaching)
Further information and contact details
For more information, see Prof. Smith's homepage
To get in touch: R.C.Smith@warwick.ac.uk