MEXTESOL Journal: Vol. 38 No. 2, 2014

From the editor:

This special issue is dedicated to the recent competency-based approach currently being implemented in the Mexican Education System. Competency-based education is not new; it was first popularized in the 1970s, and has since undergone a variety of transformations. Essentially, competency-based language education requires the language to be taught in context, and focuses on the learner’s ability to actually use the language. The approach requires a number of changes in curriculum, lesson structure, and design, as well as changes in the traditional roles of both teachers and students.

In this special edition, we examine some of these issues as they relate to the Mexican context. Peter Sayer, who has been closely involved at a theoretical level, explains how the new reforms will lead to a more student-centered teaching approach. Sayer talks about the socio-cultural focus of the new curriculum, its ability to provide teachers with greater flexibility in their classrooms, and challenges likely to face Mexican educators.
Griffith and Lim provide an overview of competency-based education. The article discusses how classroom activities, materials, and assessments need to be modified in order to implement a truly competency-based model. Finally, the authors discuss the changing roles of teachers and students in this new type of classroom.

The remaining three articles come from Mexican teachers who share with us their experiences of these changes from the point of view of classroom teachers in Mexico. Victor Diaz, a middle school teacher, discusses the distinction between competency and performance, while outlining the various types of competencies, and offering specific strategies to help teachers assess these competencies in the classroom.

Maria Del Carmen Ramirez Julian, also a middle school teacher, shows how competencies can be defined and implemented in the classroom. She talks about the importance of using authentic materials and issues related to finding good authentic materials.
Finally, Carlos Rodríguez-Ramirez, who is a teacher trainer, provides an overview of the National Program of English for Basic Education (Programa Nacional de Inglés en Educación Básica – PNIEB). He discusses what he views as the major promises and challenges as the new reforms are implemented. These teachers’ viewpoints permit us to see implications of the new reforms on a day-to-day basis on those who are working with the changes in a Mexican classroom.

We hope that this special edition will shed light on competency-based education, and its implementation in foreign language education, particularly in Mexico. We would also like to inspire teachers to work with this approach, and to see it a challenge which will lead them to develop more creative, and authentic learning opportunities. Although this change may cause uncertainty and frustration in the beginning, as Sayer points out, the new curriculum provides maximum flexibility for teachers to create lessons and materials to meet the needs of their students.

Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to M. Martha Lengeling and JoAnn Miller and for this opportunity to be Special Edition Editors.

Clare Roche
W.I. Griffith