World Englishes in language testing: a call for research

English Today ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Ju Kim
Keyword(s):  
World Wide ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Language Testing ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
The World ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

Native speakers of English are a minority; there are far more non-native speakers in the world (cf. Kachru 1997, Pennycook 2001). In addition, native speakers' standard or ‘correct’ English, in terms of its grammar and phonology, is not always useful or even appropriate in international contexts (cf. Gisborne 2000, Newbrook 1998, Shim 1999). However, despite global changes in the use of the language, the norms for ENL (English as a Native Language) remain dominant, most notably for the assessment of oral proficiency. Yet it is a major deficiency in the use of international oral tests that the proficiency of non-native speakers is measured against unrealistic and irrelevant standards (cf. Jenkins, 1996). The present paper focuses on the need to revisit the testing of English oral proficiency for non-native speakers, bearing in mind that English is used for world-wide communication and that being able to understand one another (cf. McKay, 2002) is the most important goal.

Machine Translation as the Future of International Online Communication

2011 ◽  
pp. 34-44
Author(s):  
N. St. Germaine-Madison
Keyword(s):  
World Wide Web ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Native Languages ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Manufactured Products ◽  
The World ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

American “ownership” of the World Wide Web is on the decline. In fact, two-thirds to three-fourths of Internet users are not native speakers of English. It thus does not require a leap of logic to imagine how many more non-U.S. users would buy from American e-commerce sites or even purchase American-manufactured products if they had access to translations of these e-commerce pages and technical documents in their native languages. The most oftcited reason for not providing content in other languages, however, is the sheer cost involved of first hiring a translator to translate the original content and then keeping material updated. This chapter examines uses of machine translation as a mechanism for addressing these linguistic needs.

scholarly journals World Englishes: Changing the Paradigm of Linguistic Diversity in Global Academia

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-73
Author(s):  
Azizah Alogali
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
Scholarly Work ◽  
The World ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Writing Communities

This paper discusses the ways that the publications of multilingual and non-native speakers of English are treated in academic publications. Using the World Englishes theory as a framework, it attempts to enumerate which overt and hidden advantages native speakers may have over non-native speakers in academic writing communities, and how these can be deconstructed. It also explores possible solutions to this problem, both to improve non-native students' written scholarly work and to restructure global perceptions and biases towards different regional varieties of English. The paper focuses on certain gatekeeping behaviors performed by institutions of knowledge production, and on how the World Englishes theory can be applied to help improve parity in international academia.

scholarly journals English as a Lingua Franca Approach: Implications and Limitations in Saudi English as a Foreign Language Classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 96-104
Author(s):  
Samar Alharbi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
The World ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Foreign Language Classrooms ◽  
Global Language

English language considers a global language spoken by a majority of people around the world. It is a language used mainly for communication, trades and study purposes. This widespread of English language being wildly spoken lead to different varieties of English as a lingua franca (ELF) means that non native speakers of English still be able to communicate with each other. Using ELF as a legitimate variety of English in language classrooms is questioned by some researchers. This paper will provide an overview of the concept of ELF. It will also present implications and limitations of using ELF in Saudi English as foreign language classrooms.

scholarly journals The use of discourse markers but and so by native English speakers and Chinese speakers of English

Pragmatics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binmei Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Oral Discourse ◽  
Chinese Speakers ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

Abstract Previous studies have found that but and so occur frequently in native and non-native English speakers’ speech and that they are easy to acquire by non-native English speakers. The current study compared ideational and pragmatic functions of but and so by native and non-native speakers of English. Data for the study were gathered using individual sociolinguistic interviews with five native English speakers and ten L1 Chinese speakers. The results suggest that even though the Chinese speakers of English acquired the ideational functions of but and so as well as the native English speakers, they underused the pragmatic functions of them. The findings indicate that there is still a gap between native and non-native English speakers in communicative competence in the use of but and so. The present study also suggests that speakers’ L1 (Mandarin Chinese) and overall oral proficiency in oral discourse affect their use of but and so.

scholarly journals ERROR ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS WRITTEN BY NON‐NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH

Transport ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 274-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerija Marina ◽  
Genovaite Snuviškiene
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Linguistic Relativity ◽  
Technical Writers ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

The paper presents linguistic error analysis of articles written by non‐native speakers of English which were published in the journal ‘Transport’ in 2003–2004. The errors were identified, classified and analysed from various perspectives. The main causes of language misuse were also identified and explained within the framework of the theory of linguistic relativity and laws of interference of the native language of the learners. The analysis is aimed at building competence of technical writers in the English language used in scientific papers. The results obtained in the investigation allowed the authors to provide some recommendations to technical writers as to improving the proficiency in scientific English.

scholarly journals Critically Examining Perceptions of Different Englishes in the IELTS Speaking Section: Who Decides What is Acceptable?

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 08-15
Author(s):  
Colin Michell
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Testing ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Testing System ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
International English

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has become the worldwide benchmark for evaluating English language proficiency. However, the IELTS exam is not without its critics. It has been accused of being elitist and unaccommodating of test-takers who are not users of the prestige varieties of English, even though these people may need to take the exam for employment or immigration purposes. This study involved a focus group of experienced IELTS examiners who were given a number of listenings from non-standard yet still ‘native speakers’ of English to evaluate using the IELTS speaking bands. The focus group found that the IELTS speaking descriptors are not fit for purpose when dealing with non-standard or regional varieties of English. This study makes a case for the creators of the IELTS exam to adjust their grading criteria and examiner training to be more inclusive of all English varieties.

scholarly journals THE DIALECTICS OF ENGLISH DOMINANCE

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-106
Author(s):  
LILIA D. MONZO
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Competitive Edge ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Colonial Order

The Hegemony of English across the world cannot be overstated (Macedo, Dendrinos & Gounari 2016). More and more nations are encouraging, if not mandating through compulsory education requirements, that their citizens learn English (Xue & Zuo 2013). This demand for English is rising even among countries who have few native speakers of English. Importantly, making any language learning a national project carries a critical message about that language and its power. Robert Philipson (2011) points out that this growing demand and compulsory establishment of English (through schooling) can be nothing less than linguistic imperialism, with the World Bank re-introducing the historical colonial order. Nations are clamoring to learn English as quickly as possible in the hopes that doing so will boost their competitive edge on the global market (McCormick 2013). Indeed, there is evidence that English proficiency elevates the status and power of specific nations and provides individuals greater access to jobs and resources, but as Anna Odrowaz-Coates shows, in the case of Portugal and Poland, this will not happen without a significant cost to the national identity and to the identities of the people and their families and communities.

A British response to some Indian English usages

English Today ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 19-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja Ram Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Indian English ◽  
The World ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

English has been established in India for well over two centuries, and is now both its major lingua franca and ‘window on the world’. Some Indianisms are however little known beyond South Asia and are liable to be regarded by native speakers of English as ‘deviant’ in various ways. Here, a project is described in which a set of distinctive and representative Indian English expressions was shown to a group of native English speakers who were asked to comment on them. The list includes both distinctive words (such as face-cut, freeship, and weightage) and distinctive senses of universally used words (such as chaste, see, and tempo). The responses are discussed and a summarizing conclusion presented.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document