Review of English Teaching in Rural Areas in Colombia: Challenges, Setbacks, and Lessons Learned

This article explores the evolution of English teaching in rural areas in Colombia. Drawing on insights gleaned from scholarly literature, it will critically examine the transformative journey of English teaching and learning in these regions. The initial discussion will delve into a historical overview of rural education and the teaching of English in rural areas. The discussion seeks to identify how educational policies and classroom practices have evolved concerning working with foreign languages in Colombian rural areas. This will, then, be followed by an analysis of the current challenges and opportunities of English teaching in educational institutions based on a review of recent academic studies. This review aims to provide a set of theoretical and methodological findings learned by Colombian foreign language teachers when investigating educational policies and language programs in rural areas. Finally, the paper proposes plurilingualism, interculturality, and situated teaching and learning based on service to the community as frameworks to transform and improve the teaching of English in rural schools.