Issues and implications of world Englishes for teachers

Issues and Implications of World Englishes

for Teachers

Melanie C. Gonzalez & Alison YoungbloodSunshine State TESOL Convention

Jacksonville, FL May 13, 2011

English?

Objectives

1. Background in how English became an international language

2. Issues/attitudes/perceptions surrounding the role of English

3. Pedagogical implications: EFL vs. ESL

4. Further research

3-Circle Model of World English

Created by Braj B. Kachru (1989) & cited in almost all the major studies of EIL

Details the use of English in other countries

Numbers in this circle are dated as of 2003 (Crystal).

Key Terms

English as an International Language (EIL): the umbrella term to discuss the global status and role of English; mostly associate

International English (IE): inner-circle English as purveyed by the field of ELT

World Englishes (WE): all varieties of English, but often really targets the new Englishes

English as a Lingua Franca (ELF): English used in the expanding circles as a common tongue

Pakir, (2009)

How did English achieve this status?

Global advancements in technology, business, science, culture, media

Not an elite language

Does not replace other languages

Acquired in local settings

Brutt-Griffler (2001); Kachru (1989); Seidlehofer (2004; 2009)

Attitudes & Perceptions

Expanding circle Englishes not on par with inner and outer circle varieties (Jenkins, 2009)

Seen as norm-dependent, interlanguages

ELF seen as “anything goes”

English is in demand and desired (Pakir, 2009)

Students “paid good money” (Quirk, as cited in Pakir, 2009)

Attitudes & Perceptions

IE spread is a form of linguistic imperialism (Pennycook, 1994)

Each emergent variety has potential to become standardized (Pakir, 2009)

More interactions occur between NNS than between NS (Seidlehofer, 2009)

Expanding circle users creatively use English & do not mimic NS (Pakir, 2009; Seidlehofer, 2009)

Implications for ELT

New varieties of English include Changes in lexicon Changes in grammar Changes in phonology

EFL vs. ESL

Jenkins (2000; 2006); Kachru (2009); Pakir (2009)

Examples of WE

Lexicon Grammar Phonology

Importancy; smoothfully

She think…He buy…

Fren = friend

It was a cake. The book is on shelf.I would like bottle of water.

b/v; r/l

I back to Korea next week.

The accident was happened last night.

Actually = currently Informations, homeworks, vocabularies

It’s up yours. / NATO Black color dress

Jenkins (2002; 2009); Matsuda (2003)

Examples of WE

Singlish – great example of a World English from the Outer-circle; mix of English, Mandarin, Malay

Singapore has two official languages: Mandarin & English

Speaking Singlish (via YouTube)

English Instruction by ICE/IE/BANA

From Pakir, A. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Analyzing research frameworks in international English, world Englishes, and ELF. World Englishes, 28(2), 224-235.

English Instruction by OCE/WE

From Pakir, A. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Analyzing research frameworks in international English, world Englishes, and ELF. World Englishes, 28(2), 224-235.

English Instruction by ELF

From Pakir, A. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Analyzing research frameworks in international English, world Englishes, and ELF. World Englishes, 28(2), 224-235.

Implications for EFL

Awareness of local varieties of English important for teaching in outer and expanding circle countries (Seidlhofer, 2004; Vitanova, 2007; Pakir, 2009)

Intelligibility vs. correctness debate (Jenkins, 2002 & 2009; Seidlhofer, 2004)

Inner-circle English is becoming out-dated & native-speaker judge of proficiency is only suitable in ESL (inner circle) contexts (Matsuda, 2003)

Implications for ESL

Intelligibility vs. correctness debate (Jenkins, 2002 & 2009; Seidlhofer, 2004)

Error correction

Validity of debate (Quirk vs. Kachru in the 1990’s)

Motivations

Future of ELT

Further Research

Creating a WE corpora & ELF corpus in response to critics The ELFA Project: a 1 million word corpus of Academic ELF at the

Universiy of Helsinki (Mauranen, Hynninen, & Ranta, 2010) VOICE Project: corpus of English used in China, Japan, Korea, &

throughout SE Asia www.ied.hk/rcleams/research_projects.htm Jenkins’ research: books regarding phonology & morphology of ELF

More research into what variety expanding students want to learn; many studies report desire for American & British varieties (Evans, 2010; Hino, 2009)

Singapore’s Speak Good English movement

Lamb’s research

WE & ELF in reading and writing…most research seems focused on oral communication only

Last words, lah

Important considerations for teachers:Local context: EFL vs. ESL?Pluralistic view of English?Intelligibility vs. correctnessMore NNS of English than NS

References Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language (2nd

Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Evans, B. (2010). Chinese perceptions of inner circle varieties of English. World Englishes, 29(2), 270-280.

Jenkins, J. (2002). A sociolinguistically-based, empirically-researched pronunciation syllabus for English as an international language. Applied Linguistics, 23(1), 83-103.

Jenkins, J. (2006). Current perspectives on teaching world Englishes and English as a lingua franca. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 157-181.

Jenkins, J. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Interpretations and attitudes. World Englishes, 28(2), 200-207.

Kachru, B. (1989). Teaching world Englishes. Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15(1), 85-93.

Kachru, B. (1990). World Englishes and applied linguistics. World Englishes, 9(1), 3-20.

Lamb, M. (2003). Integrative motivation in a globalizing world. System, 32(1), 3-19.

Mauranen, A., Hynninen, N., & Ranta, E. (2009). English as an academic lingua franca: The ELFA project. English for Specific Purposes, 29(1), 183-190. doi: 10.1016/j.esp.2009.10.001

Matsuda, A. (2003). Incorporating world Englishes in teaching English as an international language. TESOL Quarterly, 37(4), 719-729

Pakir, A. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Analyzing research frameworks in international English, world Englishes, and ELF. World Englishes, 28(2), 224-235.

Pennycook, A.D. 1994, The Cultural Politics of English as in International Language, 1, Longman, London, New York.

Seidlhofer, B. (2004). Research perspectives on teaching English as a lingua franca. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 24(1), 209-239.

Seidlehofer, B. (2009). Common ground and different realities: World Englishes and English as a lingua franca. World Englishes, 28(2), 236-245.

Vitanova, G. (2007). English as an international language pedagogy: What teachers’ voices tell us. TESL Reporter, 40(1), 1-16.