ABSTRACT: In this reflective piece I discuss the process of developing a new
unifying initial English language teacher education curriculum in the province
of Chubut (Argentina). Trainers and trainees from different institutions were
called to work on it with the aim of democratising curriculum development
and enhancing involvement among agents. In the process, tensions emerged in
the following areas: the cultural and ideological representations of English
and the incorporation of interculturality; the integration of fields in the
knowledge base; and the role of subject matter in teacher education. The
article concludes by stating that while attempts to include trainers’ voices
were achieved, the curriculum was still conceptualised as compartmentalised
knowledge.
KEYWORDS: Curriculum development, curriculum policy, English language
teacher education, English as a foreign language, teacher education
knowledge base, teacher training.