Abstract

TORRICO-AVILA, Elizabeth et al. Uncovering the unequal access to English language learning in the high schools of the Province of Copiapó. Desde el Sur [online]. 2021, vol.13, n.3, e0031.  Epub Dec 31, 2021. ISSN 2076-2674.  http://dx.doi.org/10.21142/des-1303-2021-0031.

In 2004, 'Chile bilingüe' marked the launch of a system for teaching English in Chile. The goal of this language policy is to provide students with an intermediate proficiency level upon graduation. Proficiency is measured by the 'SIMCE de inglés' national test, with the results indicating a gap between private and public sector institutions. It is in this context that this article addresses this gap, focusing on the issue as revealed by the 'SIMCE' results in the province of Copiapó, as well as offering suggestions on how the gap could be narrowed. The methodology employed to conduct this research is a multi-method approach, involving surveys and archival studies. The results indica-te a correlation between student numbers, resources and teaching hours, and proficiency results among students. In addition, teachers provide suggestions on how to address the problem. The aim of this study is to suggest ways of making English teaching more equitable, as well as encouraging further research on the topic.

Keywords : English language teaching; Chile bilingüe; SIMCE; inequality; assessment.

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