The Attitudes of Chinese ELT Stakeholders toward Different English Language Varieties

Junshuan Liu

doi:10.7176/jlll/70-07

Abstract

The glocalization of the English language has produced various indigenized English varieties, posing a challenge to the conventional monolithic view of English, particularly the traditional practice of upholding Inner Circle English as the gold standard in English language teaching (ELT). Against this backdrop as well as the current gigantic size of English as a foreign language (EFL) education in China, a large scale study was conducted via questionniare suvery and interview to investigate the attitudes of Chinese ELT stakeholders toward different English language varieties. This article reports on part of the findings of this study based on the data collected through semi-structured interviews with 26 students, 14 teachers and eight EFL program administrators from six Chinese universities. The analysis of data reveals that the three participants groups as an entirety regarded Inner Circle English as being (more) standard, authentic and intelligible, and upheld this English variety as the teaching model and learning target. The vast majority of the participants were also found uncognizant of the discrimination against Outer and Expanding Circle English initiated by the promotion of Inner Circle English in English language teaching (ELT). Although a certain proportion of the teachers and administrators displayed critical awareness on this issue, they argued that the discimination is inresitable or inevitable. All these findings indicate the prevalence of the conventional pro-nativeness ideology among Chinese ELT stakeholders and by extension the tenacity of native-speakerism across the terrain of EFL education in China. Keywords : attitudes, Chinese ELT stakeholders, English language varieties, teaching/learning model, linguistic discrimination DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/70-07 Publication date: July 31 st 2020

Highlights

In the past few decades, a plethora of studies on World Englishes (WE; Kachru, 1985; Seargeant, 2012), English as a lingua Franca (ELF; Jenkins, 2007; Seidlhofer, 2011) have been conducted, displaying ever-increasing variations of the English language in contemporary world and debunking the long-standing myth on the ownership of English (Widdowson, 1994)
The analysis of the data reveals the vibrancy of the native-speakerist ideology in support of Inner Circle English as being superior to Outer and Expanding English
Similar findings are observable in many other studies focusing on different English language teaching (ELT) contexts

Summary

Introduction

In the past few decades, a plethora of studies on World Englishes (WE; Kachru, 1985; Seargeant, 2012), English as a lingua Franca (ELF; Jenkins, 2007; Seidlhofer, 2011) have been conducted, displaying ever-increasing variations of the English language in contemporary world and debunking the long-standing myth on the ownership of English (Widdowson, 1994). Inspired by and interconnected with these sociolinguistic studies, much scholarship on English language teaching (ELT) has been advocating an epistemic break from the conventional monolithic view of the English language and its concomitant practice in support of Inner Circle as the teaching model and learning target (e.g.,Canagarajah, 2014; Kumaravadivelu, 2016). Despite these scholarly efforts, a strong pro-nativeness ideology still prevails in ELT, as is evident from the perceptions of ELT stakeholders on different English language varieties (Jenkins, 2015). Similar voices were articulated by students and teachers in other Expanding and even Outer Circle contexts, such as Hong Kong (Chan, 2017) and Thailand (Watson Todd & Pojanapunya, 2020) and Fiji (Hundt, Zipp, & Huber, 2015)

Results

Discussion

Conclusion