Exploratory Practice and Modern Foreign Languages in a Globalised World

This chapter reviews the particular situation with the development of the teaching of modern foreign languages (MFLs) other than English over recent decades. The chapter describes the impact of reduced investment in the development of MFL pedagogies, in the context of increased focus on English as foreign or second language. It also identifies aspects of diversity in the teaching of these languages, shaped by higher education institutions agendas including globalisation and internationalisation. We see Exploratory Practice (EP) as a means of facing up to some of the challenges, and developing the pedagogic approaches and classroom skills which are capable of transforming the teaching of MFLs posed by the globalised classroom.