English Language Instructors' Views on ELF and ELF-Related Issues (original) (raw)

Views of university instructors and students on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and World Englishes (WES)

Dil ve Dilbilimi Çalışmaları Dergisi, 2019

The rapid proliferation of English as a medium of communication has sparked large-scale debate on the role of English and the terminology such as ELF, WE, EIL, etc. The paradigms of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and World Englishes (WEs) are sometimes considered to be confusing to differentiate between, and in addition these terms are often used interchangeably. In order to obtain the perceptions of the instructors and students towards ELF and WEs, a questionnaire was implemented in a state university. The questionnaire consisted of both closeended and open-ended questions. The participants were 44 English Instructors and 104 students of the English Language and Literature Department. The instructors of English ranged in age between 23 to 51 and the students were aged 18 to 25. The total number of participants was 148. Most of the participants stated that they want to sound like a "native speaker" and it would not be productive to have phonological or syntactic local varieties of English.

English Language Teachers’ Awareness of English as a Lingua Franca in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts

Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2019

Today English has become the Lingua Franca or common language of many people, regardless of their being native or nonnative speaker of English all over the world. Therefore, it has become necessary to educate pre-/in-service teachers with an awareness towards the significance of the involvement of an "English as a lingua franca" (ELF) perspective in their language teaching practice in multilingual/multicultural contexts. In a rapidly changing world, many English language teachers and teacher trainers are cognizant of the impact of migration in their teaching contexts. However, it is still not very clear to what extent and in what context they are integrating ELF related issues in their language teaching practice. In this study, we make an attempt to unveil in-service teachers' beliefs about ELF in pedagogical practice in three different countries-Poland, Portugal and Turkey. In order to do that we have adopted a questionnaire from an earlier study investigating the involvement of culture in ELT in expanding circle contexts. The findings of the study revealed that although teachers in these contexts are aware of the significance of the inclusion of an ELF-aware perspective in ELT, they are still hesitant about its applicability in their own teaching context. This study has implications for raising English language teachers' awareness in conceptualizing how an ELF-aware pedagogical approach can be implemented in a multilingual/multicultural context.

Bringing Global Englishes to the ELT classroom English language learners reflections

Asian Englishes

The increasing use of English as a global language has challenged many the fundamental assumptions underpinning English langugae teaching (ELT). The Global Englishes (GE) paradigm acknowledges linguistic diversity associated with English use today, highlighting the need for this diverse profile of English to be reflected in language classrooms. This article reports on the effect of raising Thai English learners’ awareness of GE on their perceptions of English language learning and use. Findings revealed a positive influence of GE awareness raising on students’ perceptions of various aspects related to language learning and use, including gaining more self-confidence in language use, developing respectful attitudes toward English varieties and speakers, redefining language learning purposes and goals, and reconceptualizing the ideal instructional model. The study maintains that it is crucial for current ELT to continue to expose learners to the plurality of Englishes in order to prepare them for the complexity of English encounters.

an investigation into teachers' attitudes to english as an international language

The spread of English and concurrent increase in the number of non-native speaker to non-native speaker interactions has meant a paradigm shift in the way the English is used and is viewed. Despite the fact that the ELT profession is central to these changes, there has been relatively little debate amongst teaching professionals about the implications of this global shift in usage. Furthermore, there is still a tendency to view the native speaker as the absolute authority on language and pedagogical matters. This is a qualitative study drawing on questionnaire and interview data to investigate the extent to which teachers are aware of the above changes, and of the continued influence of 'native speakerist' thinking on ELT practice. The study will also look at how teacher identity is affected by the phenomenon of the unprecedented changes to English and its increased use as an international language.

Uncovering EFL Teachers’ Beliefs of English as an International Language

Korea TESOL Journal, 2018

This study was designed to unveil English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ beliefs on the issue of teaching English as an international language. Their beliefs were surveyed and analyzed quantitatively under three main themes: (a) the goals of teaching English, (b) native-speaker fallacy, and (c) the use of students’ mother tongue. A set of questionnaires was distributed to twenty EFL teachers (henceforth, respondents) in this study. In general, the goals of teaching English were seen as passive by the respondents. In terms of native-speaker fallacy, the respondents view native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) as the “owners” of English language. They also consider “native-like proficiency” to be the target of students’ language learning. Meanwhile, in terms of students’ mother tongue use, they demonstrated positive beliefs, arguing that this approach to teaching English is necessary, albeit 15% of them voiced an avoidance of the use of the mother tongue in their English classes. Pedagogic implications of this study are offered at the end of this paper.

Changing teachers attitudes towards English as a lingua franca20191028 5635 mhiozm

Changing teachers’ attitudes towards English as a lingua franca , 2018

General aims of this chapter This chapter will explore ways in which teachers can enhance their sense of efficacy in teaching English by deeply exploring the concept of English as a lingua franca. After revising some basic concepts related to the empowerment of non-native teachers of English and the need to develop ELF awareness, it will be argued that current frameworks of teaching are constrained by limitations of two kinds: exogenous, which are due to what Phillipson (1992) labelled 'the native speaker fallacy'; and endogenous, which are set up by self-imposed barriers, and the ones that teacher training must aim to overcome. The chapter will emphasize the importance of a change of attitude by teachers regarding ELF and NNS uses of English, and a five-stage training proposal will be devised, through which teacher-trainees should gradually develop an understanding of English language diversity and become aware of NNS uses of English in the world. Thus, ELF will eventually appear a desirable goal rather than a poor version of an idealised NS model. On completing this chapter, you should be able to: • Develop ELF awareness of non-native English language teachers. • Deconstruct the idea of the native speaker as model for English language teachers. • Evaluate your attitudes regarding ELF and NNS uses of English.

Implications of English as an International Language for Language Pedagogy

International Journal of Higher Education, 2020

The position of the English language in the world has recently underwent an enormous shift. The global spread of English has altered its status from being a homogeneous and standard language spoken by a few powerful countries into an international language or lingua franca spoken by a wide variety of speakers around the world (Llurda, 2004). The unprecedented global demand, use, and appropriation of English as an international language (EIL) necessitates a profession-wide response to English language learning, teaching, teacher education, assessment, and policy. The international status of English and increase in the number of EIL learners require a teaching agenda that incorporates pedagogical approaches that teach English based on EIL principles (Matsuda, 2003). The current study attempts to discuss the implications of EIL on issues related to language pedagogy, such as culture and intercultural competence in EIL, native-like competence, English teachers in the EIL pedagogy, language assessment in EIL and EIL teacher education. The studies show that EIL as a means of intercultural communication in a wide range of contexts calls for a reconceptualisation of language pedagogy It is concluded that despite the extensive discussions on the role of students' first language culture for EIL learners, English textbooks and classrooms continue to rely on the target culture and ignore the students' own culture. Therefore, EIL has yet to be fully incorporated language education despite extensive studies that have been conducted on its role.