Connecting the classroom English to the real world English: Taiwanese perspectives on the English taught and learned at schools

ELF 5, Boğaziçi University IstanbulMelissa H. YuPhD student , University of Southampton

ELF intercultural communication outside classroomsLinguistic aspects:• diverse forms of English (Seidlhofer, 2011)Pragmatic aspects:• different forms follow function (Cogo, 2008)Cultural aspects:• intercultural diversity within the ELF communication (Baker,

2009) ELF in practices• Fluid, process-based, and dynamics (Pennycook, 2007; 2010)

The emerged pedagogical issues to address inside classrooms

Learning:• native (L1)/native-like competence vs. L2 users’/learners’

multicompetence (Cook, 2002)• the right way(s) to develop English language vs. rights to develop their

own English (Brumfit, 2001)Teaching:• mono-lingual, mono-cultural learning teaching practices vs. awareness

of linguistic variation plus cultural diversity (Baker, 2012; Alptekin, 2010; Kirkpatrick, 2007)

• Traditional SLA vs. ELF-informed SLA (Jenkins, 2006)• ESL/EFL methodology vs. postmethods (Kumaravadivelu, 2003)• Current teacher education for EFL professionals vs. ELF-related teacher

education (Sifakis, 2007)

EFL policy & curriculum and the objective

EFL curriculum and policies

1. communicative curriculum

2. English language proficiency

3. internationalizing Taiwanese universities

The ultimate goal of EFL education

Competent Taiwanese speakers of English for intercultural communication

Connecting EFL education to ELF communication

EFL provisions inside classrooms

ELF communicationoutside classrooms

EFL curriculum & policies

Research questions

1. To what extent are Taiwanese English teachers informed by theories or concepts for intercultural communication?

2. What are students’ perceptions of learning English as an international language within the framework of Taiwanese education?

3. How do Taiwanese speakers perceive English for intercultural communication?

4. What are the pedagogical implications of teaching English in Taiwan for English use outside the classroom?

Theoretical and analytical perspectives to frame research design•Critical educational research: seeking indigenous people’s accounts to challenge the established education (Kincheloe and McLaren, 2005)

•Ethnography approach (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007; O’Reilly, 2009) a). participatory approach: insider/emic perspectivesb). triangulation approach: multiple methods, sites, resources, and perspectives for data collection and analysis

Research methods

•Research settings and sites: 1. Taiwanese setting: one private and two state universities 2. The UK setting: one university

•Participants: Taiwanese teachers of English, Taiwanese students, and Taiwanese users of English

•Research instruments: observation, questionnaire (open-ended questions), interview (e.g. on-site; individual), focus group, and other resources

Teaching materials for teaching and learning practices inside classrooms

Teaching materials inside EFL classroomsUniversity A University B University C

Oral Training 1

Oral Training 2 Freshmen English

Freshmen English

Freshmen English

Speech Communication: made simple

Communicating effectively in English: oral communication for non-native speakers

Reading explorer 3

American Headaway 3

Smart Choice 2

Pearson Longman

Heinel Cengage Learning

Heinel Cengage Learning

Oxford Oxford

2006 1992 2010 2009 2007

The dominance of American English in the textbook market: textbook dealer’s perspective

American Headway:TD1 (Textbook dealer): … because so far we have (.) @@ because British-English Headway is rarely used@@. Have a look at New Headway in our shop now, not all the levels of New Headway are available...in Taiwan, the majority use American Headway; fewer use New Headway.’ R: Is there any teacher or school using New Headway?TD1: NEARLY= NO one? (.) It seems that no university chose New Headway. Most of them use American Headaway.

What is available: American English-based textbooks• American-English textbooks in many bookshelves vs. British-

English textbooks in one bookshelf

The American/American English-related ideas in the selected textbooks: title and introduction•‘American Headway: the world’s most trusted English course’. (Soars and Soars, 2009 cited in American Headway 2nd Edition)

•‘Smart Choice is a four-level course for adult and young adult learners of American English. From beginner to intermediate level its fresh and friendly approach makes learning English enjoyable and gets students to “smile in English”’- (Wilson, 2007 cited in Smart Choice 2, 2007.

• Most of the available texts that deal with speech communication and public speaking are written for American students…-(Dale and Wolf, 2006 cited in Speech Communication: made simple, 3rd Eds.)

The available textbooks to choose and use

• The lack of local publishers: the heavy dependence on British, American Publishers offering global textbooks

•The availability of textbooks: a), highlighting the dominance of a particular kind of American English; b), marginalising non-American Englishes.

• American or American English has been highlighted in the selected textbooks.

Teaching practice based on the available textbooks: listening training• 3 month observations and interviews

Teacher T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

Modules Freshmen English

Freshmen English

Oral Training 1, 2

Freshmen English

Freshmen English

Freshmen English

Use of Audio CD

x

Other resources

x Friends

x x

Youtube

http://www.esl-lab.com/

One pedagogical issue to concern: linguistic input through listening training inside classrooms

Questionnaire survey results• Past: Audio CD of textbooks; Audio CD of English language

learning magazines• Present: Audio CD; other resources

Observations and interviews

• TBL/TBT?: Textbook-based learning/teaching

• The listening and linguistic input: a particular kind/few kinds of American English based on textbooks

• Deliberate listening practices inside classrooms by using Audio CDs

The use of audio CD: teacher’s perspectives

Listening training based on textbooks’ audio CDThe teacher who use CD most: on-site interviews

Resarcher: … Ur:m (.) According to my observation, I (.) Ur:m find you begin your class with listening and then reading…how did you develop your students’ listening and reading skills? Ur:m, I saw you using textbook CD to train students’ listening ability, right?

T2: Ur:m, I think (.) CD is good resources. Th::en(.) Ur:m I think CD provides some texts recorded by native speakers of English. I think students can carry out deliberate practice to enhance their listening by using CD. They did not make good use of CD…

The use of audio CD: counter perspective 1 Listening training based on textbooks’ audio CDThe teacher who uses CD least: on-site interviews•T6: …so I think Ur:m (.), from the beginning to the end, the same two speakers talking, for example one male and one female, therefore they are familiar to their voices (English), students are used to my voice (English)…they may listen to others speaking English, different from those mentioned…

•R: Any other thoughts? In other words, you do not want them to familiarise themselves to English of Audio CD, why?

•T6: It is perhaps because I took IELTS so I think if the same accent or same pronunciation, if he (any student) is familiar to it, then he would be unable to understand others’ spoken English.

The use of audio CD: counter perspective 2 Listening training based on textbooks’ audio CDThe students who attended the class which audio CD is most frequently used•Linguistic input based on textbooks: Taiwanese students’ perspective•R: Do you think that (listening to CD) helps develop listening competence? (.)do you think that helps you learn English, enable you to ‘improve’ English?•S2: I think (.)I am used to listening to English.•S1: But =there are certain accents which I will not be used to hearing.•S2: I THINK listening to CD makes me get used to hearing accents? I mean I will be more used to hearing the accents they used.

Pedagogical implications and suggestion

• Implications: 1. Deliberate practice listening to textbook materials leads to students’ familiarity with a particular kind of English, such as a particular kind of native-speaking English/American English in Taiwanese EFL context.

2. There is a lack of awareness of linguistic diversity and successful accommodation to various ways of spoken English by multilingual speakers of English inside classrooms.

3. There is need for teacher training to help ELT professionals with textbook evaluation from perspectives of ELF.

• Suggestions for classroom English: 1. Avoid deliberation practice listening a particular kind or few particular kinds of spoken English.• Teachers evaluate textbooks with students from ELF

perspectives.

ReferencesAlsagoff, L., McKay, S. L., Hu, G. and Renandya, W. A. (ed.) 2011. Principles and Practices for Teaching English as an International Language (ESL and Applied Linguistics Professional Series). New York and London: RoutledgeBaker, W. (2012) From cultural awareness to intercultural awareness: culture in. ELT Journal, 66/1:62-70. (doi:10.1093/elt/ccr017) Baker, W. (2009) The cultures of English as a lingua franca. TESOL Quarterly, 43, (4), 567-592. Brumfit, C. (2001). Individual Freedom in Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Canagarajah, A. S. (1999). Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English Teaching. Oxford,. UK: Oxford University Press. Cogo, A. (2008). “English as a Lingua Franca: Form Follows Function.” English Today. 24/3: 58-61.Cook, V. (2002). “Language Teaching Methodology and the L2 User Perspective.” In Cook, V. (eds.) Portraits of the L2 User. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. 327-343.Dewey, M. (in press) 'Beyond Labels and categories in English Language Teaching: Critical reflections on popular conceptualisations' In Leung, C & Street, B (eds.) English a changing medium of education. Multilingual Matters.Jenkins, J. (2006). Points of view and blind spots: ELF and SLA. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. 16/2: 137–162.

References

Jenkins, J. (2007). English as a Lingua Franca: Attitude and Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kirkpatrick, A. (2007). World Englishes: Implications for international communication and English language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003). A Postmethod Perspective on English Language Teaching. World Englishes. 22: 539–550. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-971X.2003.00317.x

Matsuda, A. (ed.) (2012). Principles and Practices of Teaching English as an International Language (New Perspectives on Language and Education). Multilingual Matters.

McKay, S. and Bokhorst-Heng, W. D. (2008). International English in Its Sociolinguistic Contexts: Towards a Socially Sensitive EIL Pedagogy. New York and London: Routledge.

Pennycook, A. (2010) Language as a Local Practice. Routledge.Pennycook, A. (2007). Global Englishes and transcultural flows. London: Routledge.Seidlhofer, B. (2011). Understanding English as a Lingua Franca. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Sharifian, F. (ed.) (2009). English as an International Language: Perspectives and Pedagogical

Issues. Multilingual Matters.Sikfakis, N. C. (2007). The education of the teachers of English as a lingua franca: a transformative

perspective. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. 17/3: 355-375.

Thank you for your listening and feedback.

E-mail: hyy1g10@soton.ac.uk