Teaching English as an International Language ELC 688: Methods I Best Practices for TESOL

Developed by Dr. Joan Kang Shin Facilitated by Carol Haddaway

English is a Global Language Crystal (1987) established that English is used as  either a first or second language in various contexts  by people of all different nationalities on every  continent. It is the language of science and technology and is  dominant in various socio‐cultural arenas, such as  international organizations, media, international  travel, and the Internet (Crystal, 1997). See Kachru’s circles on the next slide to get an idea of  the numbers of English speakers worldwide.

Kachru (1985) Expanding Circle Outer Circle

Inner Circle e.g. USA, UK, Australia 320-380 million

e.g. India, Singapore 150-300 million e.g. China, Germany 100-1000 million

Kachru’s Circles Kachru (1985) maintains that the various roles English  serves in different countries of the world are best  conceived of in terms of three concentric circles: Inner Circle: English is the primary language of the country Outer Circle: English serves as a second language in a  multilingual country Expanding Circle: English is widely studies as a foreign  language

English is used worldwide as an international language by  inner, outer, and expanding circle countries.

Who owns English? English is used in a global sense for international  communication between cultures. English is used in a local sense as a language of wider  communication within multilingual societies. English is no longer connected to the culture of inner circle  countries. (McKay 2002)

In the past, English was associated with only inner circle countries.   Now we know that it is an international language with speakers  across the globe.

Using Cultural Materials Teaching EIL authentically means including a variety of cultural materials.

Cultural Materials (McKay 2002) Source culture (home culture) Target culture (inner circle countries) International target culture (outer/expanding circle) See the next slide for a visualization of cultural materials.

Kachru (1985) SOURCE CULTURE  MATERIAL (for most E‐Teacher  countries)

Expanding Circle

INT’L TARGET CULTURE MATERIAL

Outer Circle

Inner Circle e.g. USA, UK, Australia 320-380 million

TARGET CULTURE MATERIAL

e.g. India, Singapore 150-300 million e.g. China, Germany 100-1000 million

McKay (2002)

Sphere of Interculturality (KRAMSCH, 1993) EFL teachers should enable speakers to share with others their ideas and culture in cross-cultural encounters and establish a…

SPHERE OF INTERCULTURALITY In this sphere… Learners need to acquire knowledge about another culture Learners need to reflect on their own culture in relation to others Kramsch emphasizes teaching culture as difference.

Role of NNESTs This new conceptualization of English as an international language changes the role of the nonnative English speaking teachers (NNESTs). “The evidence clearly suggests that the use of EIL will continue to grow, an international language that belongs, not just to native speakers, but to all of its users. Given this shift in ownership, the time has come for decisions regarding teaching goals and approaches to be given to local educators so that they can take their rightful place as valid users of English. For, in the end, they are in the best position to understand what their students need to know, and to encourage them to learn and use English fully to participate in our growing global community.” (McKay, 2002)

Conclusion As we embark on this ten week journey together, keep in mind what it means to teach English as an international language, rather than a foreign language. As you complete the readings for this week, keep in mind how this notion of TEIL applies to your teaching context. As you interact with your classmates on the discussion board, express your perspective on the challenges of TEIL for English teachers around the world.

References Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Kachru, B.B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the Outer Circle. In English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literature. Cambridge/London: Cambridge University Press/The British Council. Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McKay, S. (2000). Teaching English as an International Language: Implications for Cultural Materials in the Classroom. TESOL Journal 9 (4): 7-11. McKay, S. (2002). Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Llurda, E. (2004). Non-native-speaker teachers and English as an International Language. In International Journal of Applied Linguistics 14 (3): 314-325.