Representations of the English as a Lingua Franca Framework: Identifying ELF-aware Activities in Portuguese and Turkish Coursebooks

RELC Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 003368822093547
Author(s):  
Luis Guerra ◽  
Lili Cavalheiro ◽  
Ricardo Pereira ◽  
Yavuz Kurt ◽  
Elifcan Oztekin ◽  
...  

The international role of English has made it the most taught foreign language in the world. As a result, standard native varieties have thrived as models within the field of English language teaching, particularly Standard British English and Standard American English, and alongside, the cultures associated with them. Although the majority of English language learners are part of Kachru’s Expanding Circle, teaching materials have continued to focus on native speaker models, neglecting many of the times other examples of successful communication among non-native speakers. Bearing this in mind, it is critical that teaching materials take on a more ELF-aware perspective, where intercultural communicative competence and intercultural awareness are fomented. In view of this, a comparative analysis was conducted between coursebooks in Portugal and Turkey. A locally published (LP) and an internationally published (IP) coursebook of the first year of secondary education from each country was analyzed. The aim of this analysis was twofold: to identify the similarities and differences between (1) Portuguese and Turkish EFL coursebooks and (2) LP and IP coursebooks in Portugal and Turkey, as far as an ELF-aware approach is concerned. After comparing the coursebooks and verifying that much can still be done for a more ELF-aware pedagogy, various implications are put forth for the sake of a more critical approach towards materials development.

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-129
Author(s):  
Fan (Gabriel) Fang

The English language functions as a global lingua franca, and as the number of non-native speakers of English surpasses the number of native speakers of English, the ideology of native-speakerism is challenged. Viewing from the paradigm of Global Englishes (GE), English is no longer the sole property of its native speakers. This paper first discusses and presents a general picture regarding standard language ideology and the ideology of native-speakerism, and links the notion to how such ideas would exert an influence on teacher recruitment and intercultural communication in English language teaching (ELT). This paper then employs narrative inquiry from Chinese ELT professionals who have education experience abroad to reveal how they negotiate their professional identities in relation to privilege and marginalization when working with native English speaking colleagues. This paper argues for the importance of moving beyond the idealized native speaker model from the GE paradigm to challenge the ideology of native-speakerism in various aspects of ELT, in particular, in expanding circle contexts.


Edulib ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Doddy Rusmono ◽  
Susanti Agustina

Abstrak. Proses transfer ide dalam bentuk tulisan yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa jurusan ilmu perpustakaan dan informasi sebagai mahasiswa jurusan non Bahasa Inggris (SNED) yang mempelajari Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing (EFL) perlu diinvestigasi. Ketidakmampuan untuk menjembatani kesenjangan antara ide dalam bahasa ibu (Bahasa Inggris) dengan ide dalam bahasa pembaca (Bahasa Inggris) menghambat pemahaman pembaca, khususnya pembaca yang merupakan penutur asli Bahasa Inggris. Paragraf yang ditulis oleh mahasiswa SNED sebagai pembelajar Bahasa Inggris tidak dapat dipahami karena hambatan linguistik dan budaya. Sejumlah kecil mahasiswa yang membuat tulisan Bahasa Inggris dalam ujian tengah semester memperlihatkan gambaran ketidaktepatan dalam hal menyusun kalimat sehingga Bahasa Inggris mereka pada tingkatan tertentu terdengar seperti Bahasa Indonesia. Dalam hal ini kemampuan mereka untuk menggunakan Bahasa Inggris seperti layaknya bahasa Indonesia terbukti sangat rendah sehingga seorang penutur asli Bahasa Inggris yang mencoba untuk memahami ide mereka bisa salah memahaminya. Seorang pembelajar Bahasa Inggris harus memiliki kosakata yang cukup banyak dan setidaknya mengetahui aturan gramatikal seperti formulasi 9BP+3CC (Cd,Cx,Cdx) dan PoS misalnya, untuk melengkapi pemahaman sebelum benar-benar dapat mengekspresikan ide dalam tulisan Bahasa Inggris yang dapat dipahami. Selain itu, pengetahuan mahasiswa tentang budaya penutur Bahasa Inggris memainkan peranan yang sangat penting untuk menghasilkan tulisan yang bagus, sebagaimana yang diungkapkan oleh seorang ahli bahasa bahwa seringkali seorang pembelajar bahasa mengetahui aturan tata bahasa tetapi tidak memiliki pengetahuan yang cukup tentang budaya penutur asli. Mahasiswa mengalami kesulitan dalam mengkomunikasikan idenya dikarenakan ekspresi suatu ide terikat oleh budaya yang merupakan entitas independen. Budaya penutur asli mempengaruhi dan membentuk perasaan, sikap, dan respons terhadap pengalaman dan interaksi seorang pembelajar bahasa dengan yang lain. Oleh karena itu, upaya fasilitator untuk memperbaiki kemampuan menulis mahasiswa mungkin untuk dilakukan.Kata kunci: Penulisan paragraf, Bahasa, Kultur , Constraint, Betterment,  SNED. Abstract. Ideas transferred in the written form by Library and Information Science students as SNED (Students of Non-English Department)learning English in the environments of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) need investigating. Inability of bridging the gap between the ideas in their native language (Indonesian language) and the audience language (English language)hampers understanding on the readers' part, as especially a native speaker of English language. Paragraphs written by the SNED as English Language Learners (ELLs) are incomprehensible due to linguistic and cultural constraints. Quite a small number of students  willing to write in English in their Mid-term Examination give some picture of inappropriateness in terms of sentence structuring resulting in their English being “Indonesian” to some extent. Their “at-homeness”, in this case, proves to be so low that a native speaker of English trying to understand their ideas put into a paragraph will be more than likely misled. ELLs should have vocabularies in a sufficient number and know grammatical rules such as the one formulated as 9BP+3CC (Cd,Cx,Cdx) and the PoS at least, for instance, to equip themselves with before actually expressing their ideas in comprehensible English writing mode. Other than that, ELLs' knowledge of target culture (English, that is) plays a great role in producing a good writing as coined by a linguist: Most frequently confronted that students to a great extent know the rules of language, but are not knowledgeable enough about the target culture. In communicating their ideas, students found it difficult to do due to a culture-bound independent entity of idea expressions. The target culture influences and shape the ELLs' feelings, attitudes, and responses to the ELLs' experiences and interactions with others. It is indicated that any facilitator's efforts towards betterments in terms of writing better paragraphs by the ELLs should be a possibility.Key words: paragraph writing, linguistic, cultural, constraint, betterment, SNED.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (65) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Lili Cavalheiro

<span lang="EN-US">Throughout multiples regions around the world, waves of migrants and refugees search for better and safer living conditions. As a result, classrooms are becoming increasingly multicultural and multilingual, with many teachers feeling challenged when faced with this ‘new’ reality. Being English the most commonly shared language around the world, the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom can be a ‘safe’ place where dialogue and intercultural communication are fomented. Not only can it facilitate the integration of migrant/refugee students, but it can also contribute to expanding learners’ (inter)cultural awareness and knowledge of how English may be used by multiple speakers (native and non-native) in diverse settings. In light of this, it is imperative that educators develop more inclusive English-language lessons that help break down barriers and taboos, in terms of language and culture. In order to achieve this, however, it is vital that these issues be developed at the beginning of any teacher training. Bearing this in mind, this paper begins by presenting the concept of English as a Lingua Franca and intercultural communication and follows up by reflecting upon how the traditional EFL classroom should to be reconsidered in light of today’s international role of English. Taking into account the specific growing multicultural/multilingual Portuguese context, the last section of this paper presents how these issues are developed in two pre-service MA programs in English Language Teaching at the University of Lisbon, and also how student teachers have integrated ELF-related activities/resources in their practicum, along with a commentary on their learners’ reactions.</span>


For a long time, ELT (‘English language teaching’) scholars and practitioners have used terms like ‘ESL’ (‘English as a second language’) and ‘EFL’ (‘English as a foreign language’) unquestioningly to describe the English used by people outside the so-called ENL (‘English as a native language’) circle. For example, ELT practitioners may conveniently refer to students from places like China, Vietnam and Thailand as EFL students. Interestingly, we find counterparts of such terms in ‘World Englishes’ studies; Braj Kachru’s ‘Inner Circle English’, ‘Outer Circle English’ and ‘Expanding Circle English’ essentially refer to ENL ESL and EFL respectively. Despite the popularity of such terms in scholarly circles, the problems associated with their use have not often been explored in depth. Nevertheless, some authors have described such problems. For example, commenting on the distinction between ESL and EFL, Nayar (1997, p. 10) states, “a great deal of referential fuzziness within the two and denotative overlap between the two are making the terminological distinctions unclear, impractical, and ineffective or, worse still, in some cases inauspicious and irrelevant.” This special issue aims to further examine the use and relevance of these terms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-80
Author(s):  
Umar Umar

the aim of this reseach is to find elaborate the roles of teachers in English language teaching (ELT. Starting from free trade, the increasing number of foreign companies established in Indonesia, so that the use of international languages such as English is very widespread. Of course, aspiring entrepreneurs and job seekers have to master English so they can keep up with the times in this globalization era. If you are still in school or college, then you have the opportunity to learn and master English. If you have graduated from school or college, you should be ready to enter the world of work with the English skills needed by your place of work. To acquire good communication skills or to excel in communication skills, one has to acquire expertise in all the four skills. They are Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Before students are able to master these 4 skills, students have to develop interest towards the subject or language. This is where the important role of the teacher will appear.


Author(s):  
Xiaochi Zhang

Language And Culture Keep A Very Close Relationship And Are Inseparable. English Language Teaching Is Not Only To Cultivate English Language Learners’ Linguistic Competence, But Also To Promote Their Intercultural Communication Competence. In Fact, English Vocabulary Teaching Is One Part Of Vital Integration In English Language Teaching. Meantime, English Vocabulary Teaching Plays An Important Role In The Cultivation Of English Language Learners’ Intercultural Communication Awareness. Therefore, The Author Attempts To Expound The Significance Of Cultural Elements In English Vocabulary Teaching, Discusses About The Relationship Between Language And Culture, Stresses On The Cultural Connotations Of English Vocabulary Through The Formation Of English Language, Especially In Some Specific Words And Focuses On Some Typical Cases And Analyzes The Functions Of English Vocabulary Teaching For English Language Learners’ Intercultural Communication Awareness Finally, The Author Puts Forward Some Useful Suggestions To Cultivate The English Language Learners’ Intercultural Communication Awareness Through English Vocabulary Teaching.


Author(s):  
Xiaochi Zhang ◽  
Jinjing ZHANG

This article discusses about the relationship between linguistic competence and intercultural communication competence, and then about the functions of English language teaching in improving students’ intercultural communication competence. Finally, it explores how to develop English language learners’ intercultural communication competence in English language teaching and gives some useful suggestions, so as to really realize the final objective of English language teaching.


Author(s):  
Melissa Rebekah Bodola

Online learning calls for a revolution in course development for English language teaching. This chapter examines the effects of interpersonal interaction, computer-mediated tasks, and podcasting on engagement in listening and speaking activities by exploring instruction that promotes fluent and accurate speech, in addition to the potential benefits of employing student podcasts as authentic listening materials. Fifty-one L1 Arabic English language learners (ELLs) from an intermediate English cohort of the Foundation Program for English Language (FPEL) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman responded to a 24-question online survey that addressed their perceptions of classroom-based and online listening and speaking activities. To further ascertain students' motivations, the researcher interviewed a focus group of seven learners from the cohort and examined willingness to engage in speaking activities inside the classroom and as part of extracurricular activities. Findings suggest an influence of foreign language anxiety (FLA) on participation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-260
Author(s):  
Tek Mani Karki

Supplementary resource materials are additional but more useful in English language teaching (ELT). The teacher needs to supplement materials to promote motivation, which is one of the key factors influencing learning. However, there is a lack of study what supporting materials the teachers are using in English language classrooms for teaching learning purposes. This paper attempts to explore the supplementary teaching materials selected and used in ELT classrooms of community schools in Nepal. The information was collected through observations, interviews and focus group discussion. It was found that non-technical visual supplementary teaching materials were used more than technical and audio/audio visual ones. Most of the materials were used for reading and writing purposes. Teachers’ knowledge about technology, carefulness in using appropriate instructional materials/techniques, infrastructure and existing facilities of schools, are the major factors that affect to use the supplementary materials successfully in classrooms.


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