There are several current topics of debate within the world of English and The Language Arts:
1) English teachers currently find themselves at the focus of the debate concerning technology in the classroom and the difference between paper and Internet-based resources. While technology such as the Internet is changing every classroom, English and Language Arts teachers find themselves struggling between the practicality, wide availability, and convenience of Internet reference sources, such as Wikipedia, and traditional research articles that can only be found through the library. This debate is forcing students and teachers to determine which sources of reference are more reliable, better - researched, and fit to include in a traditional research paper or essay. I feel as if this topic is hotly debated because students are naturally going to show interest in media and resource tools that relate to the technology they use on an everyday basis. With so much information available to them, the struggle to separate the reliable from the unreliable is a very real problem for teachers in our world today.
2) In the United States, English teachers are challenged to broaden their source material and include films, music, pop culture, and other mediums to address today's student and place him or her in the correct context. Many educators are adopting the idea that the analytical skills we have traditionally used on classic works of literature can just as easily be applied to contemporary music and film: genres that today's students view as interesting and important. Some teachers are pushing for a radical change in the typical curriculum of Shakespeare and Milton for an edgier approach to poetry and literature that includes Hip-Hop Artists, film directors, and comic books. However, some teachers reject this change to varying degrees of intensity, feeling as if the established material that is already in the cannon will better serve student goals and needs. I believe that this debate has come to the forefront in the world of education because of the technology and connectivity that we live with. Even 20 years ago, the thought if the Internet was a far-off dream. Today, we are surrounded by mass-media messages and information in a way that we never have had to deal with before. Students today are growing up in a digital world, and the battle between "old school" practices of books and paper and "new school" approaches that embrace and prepare students for this world is evident in schools everywhere.
3) The question of what is relevant to students, as well as potential "real world" applications for the material that is covered in the typical English classroom, is a current topic that is interesting in the context of SOL's and National Standards. There is a very real effort to put standards into place for accountability reasons, but at the same time there is a debate over what we are teaching students and if they will be able to apply this knowledge to real world use. I believe that this is a current debate because of the focus on standards and college preparation in America. As more students feel the need to attend college to be marketable employees, questions about what schools do to equip students to face their futures will become more important to teachers, parents and the community.
4) There is a growing concern over the ability for our public schools to meet the needs of ELL students. Although the United States has no official language, students from all over the world are often expected to learn American English at a very rapid rate when they enter the United States public school system. SOL's and other standards hinge on the idea that students will have mastered the aspects of English needed for their particular grade level. The public school system is not always equipped to handle the growing need for ELL students to have access to the individual attention and instruction they need to succeed in school. I believe that this problem is a clear indicator of the amount of ELL students moving to the United States from other countries and hoping to find success and fulfillment in the school system. As America moves towards being a country with an even more racially-diverse population, public schools must accept the situation and adapt to meet the needs of students who desire an equal educational opportunity.