A Greek Tragedy: Understanding and Challenging ‘the Known’ from a Complexity Perspective

What is it about?

In this chapter, I describe aspects of teaching and learning in an English language school in Greece. Although the school might be expected to conform to pedagogical 'norms' that are typical of pedagogical 'orthodoxy', the patterns of teaching and learning were unusual. The article describes these differences , and uses Complex Systems Theory to explain what sustained this 'resistance'.

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Why is it important?

In the academic literature describing English Language Teaching, the argument has been put forward that teaching methodology conforms to British and (US)American standards. The suggestion is made these standards are imposed on settings at the periphery of the English-using world. This study adds some nuance to our understanding of these processes by highlighting aspects of agency in the peripheral settings.