Global Paradigms to Local Contexts: A Historical Analysis of ELT Curriculum Models

Abstract

The English Language Teaching (ELT) curriculum is a dynamic construct shaped by the complex interplay of global pedagogical paradigms and local educational contexts over time. Historically, ELT has progressed from the Grammar-Translation Method, which fostered the notion of accuracy and formalism, through Direct and Audiolingual Methods, guided by behaviorist psychology, towards Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which centered on interaction and communicative competence. More recently, post-method pedagogy has challenged the universality of prescriptiveness, advocating for flexibility, situational sensitivity, and understanding in curriculum design. Such theoretical principles have had a far-reaching impact on the reform of curricula worldwide, most notably in Indonesia, where, over the past three decades, the concept of ELT has undergone significant changes. The evolution of the structure-based curriculum (1994) to the competency-based KBK (2004), the flexible SB curriculum (KTSP, 2006), the Inquiry-based 2013 Curriculum (K13), and the current Merdeka Curriculum (2022–present) all represent attempts to strike a balance between global trends and national priorities. Ultimately, the study of global and Indonesian development underscores the importance of developing ELT curricula that are historically relevant, contextually specific, and adaptable to both worldwide education and local educational contexts.