Dominance Of English Language Research Articles

Factors of Language Dominance Chosen by Young Self-Learning Bilinguals on X Platform

This study aims to explore the patterns of English language dominance among young self-learning bilinguals on platform X, while also uncovering the factors that affect their ability to communicate with others in English. Additionally, it examines how the use of English as the dominant language impacts these young bilingual learners. The research employs a qualitative approach, gathering data through in-depth interviews with participants and focusing on the social media accounts of bilingual youth engaged in independent learning on platform X. The collected data is analyzed through a data condensation process leading to conclusions. The findings indicate that specific languages play a significant role in fostering emotional connections and enhancing language proficiency, which in turn influences the dominant language usage among young self-learning bilinguals on X by creating meaningful connections through language. Furthermore, the study discusses how a language can develop linguistic skills through patterns of communicative interaction, which can affect each individual's language preferences and proficiencies. It highlights the positive correlation between proficiency in one language and proficiency in another, emphasizing the various interaction dynamics among factors such as language skills, personal backgrounds, language delivery, and the ability to interpret and understand communication outcomes.

Suspended Spaces of Global Việt Nam: KT Food Stories and Gastro Cartographies of the Inscrutable

Abstract: Vietnamese refugee cultural archives reveal indifference to prevalent linguistic racial homogenization using monolingual Vietnamese in digital space. By analyzing the food vlog KT Food Stories as a case study, this article demonstrates that the YouTube food channel is not unlike some restaurants or shopping centers in the physical Little Saigons across the globe in its use of nontranslation. But when English-language dominance becomes peripheralized within the suspended diasporic space of Vietnamese food vlogging, the problem of linguistic inscrutability–particularly as a basis for ridicule in dominant American popular culture–becomes reclaimed through indifference, and Vietnameseness has the potential to expand globally through intimate gastro cartographies of refuge.

Community Radio Content in Print Facebook Posts: Limitations and Opportunities for Indigenous Languages

With the advent of social media, traditional analogue radio has converged to audio-visual with print formats. Using the case of community radio in Zimbabwe, this article explores how radio broadcasters have taken advantage of media convergence to disseminate text as implant on radio. A qualitative content analysis of community radio platforms on Facebook reveals that some multilingual community radio stations still maintain their local languages in written text as captions or print, although there is a tendency towards English and major indigenous language dominance. Using language revitalisation theory, we argue that merging written text with radio on social media should always maintain the distinctness of radio and text as implant that reflect the local languages of community radio stations to revitalise or strengthen indigenous languages. We find the affordances of digital connection through Facebook useful to revitalise languages which are no longer used in the everyday communication of a digital audience.

6 Code-switching, Language Attitudes, and Executive Function in Latinx Bilinguals

Objective:Code-switching is when bilingual individuals alternate between two languages in the same conversation. Some studies find that code-switching frequency is associated with executive functioning, while others do not. Individual attitudes towards bilingual language use and code-switching may explain the inconsistency in the literature. For instance, greater positive attitudes towards code-switching may be associated with more likelihood to engage in that practice and thus strengthen the cognitive benefit in executive function. Additionally, code-switching between English and Spanish has been stigmatized in the U.S., therefore it is unclear what sociocultural factors may predict positive attitudes. In this study, we assessed Latinx bilinguals’ attitudes on code-switching and investigated their relationship with code-switching frequency, sociodemographic and linguistic factors, and executive functioning.Participants and Methods:Participants were 525 community-dwelling English-Spanish bilingual Latinx adults from the Offspring study (Mage= 55.38 (10.42); Meducation= 12.62 (3.34); 71% women; 41% tested in English, 75% immigrant). A language history questionnaire assessed for bilingualism and code-switching frequency. Participants completed 7 questions on code-switching attitudes on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree (e.g., “switching between languages in a conversation is an important part of my identity”), that were summed for a total score with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes. Executive functioning was assessed with the NIH Toolbox Cognition battery, verbal fluencies, and the digit span test. Sociodemographic and linguistic factors included age, sex, education, immigrant status, parental years of education, English and Spanish proficiency (average score on self-reported ratings on speaking, reading, writing, and understanding), and testing language. General linear models evaluated the association of code-switching attitudes on executive function, after adjusting for relevant covariates.Results:Positive code-switching attitudes were correlated with greater code-switching, r(499)=.33, p<.001. Younger age r(499)=-.11, being born in the US t(493)=-2.05, greater English proficiency r(497)=.15, and English dominance t(499)=2.22, were associated with more positive code-switching attitudes (all p’s <.05). Sex, education, parental years of education, and Spanish proficiency were not associated with code-switching attitudes. Overall models of attitudes with executive function indicated that positive code-switching attitudes were associated with worse visual working memory (b = -0.08, t(169) = -2.75, 95% CI [0.14, -0.02]) after adjusting for age, sex, education, immigration status, parental years of education and testing language. Code-switching attitudes were not significantly associated with other executive function measures.Conclusions:Among a community-based sample of bilingual middle-aged Latinx adults, positive attitudes towards code-switching were associated with greater likelihood of code-switching in conversations, higher English proficiency, being US born, younger age, and English language dominance but negatively associated with visual working memory. These findings indicate that code-switching attitudes are influenced by sociodemographic and linguistic factors. Additionally, the negative association between code-switching attitudes and visual working memory provides support for previous studies showing code-switching as a disadvantage to cognition. Results of this study suggest that detailed characterization of sociocultural factors and aspects of bilingualism can provide further clarity in determining if there is a potential bilingual cognitive advantage. Future research should examine the relationship of code-switching with other aspects of bilingualism (e.g., age of acquisition).

Impact of English Language Imperialism on Pakistani Learners’ Psychology

In the course of the past few years, English language has acquired uncommon consideration in Pakistan. In the progression of this momentum, students have embarked on learning and communicating in English at the cost of dismissing their native language, that is, Urdu. The current study attempted to discuss the dominance of English language and its consequences on the psychology of learners. This study addressed the question of whether students perceive English language imperialism as a threat to their national language, Urdu. The current study is quantitative in nature. A sample size comprising 100 participants was selected and those learners were studying in undergraduate and graduate programs at Kinnaird College for Women Lahore, Minhaj University, and the University of Punjab, Lahore. A self-constructed questionnaire was utilized to gather the information. Moreover, an investigation was undertaken on the impacts of the independent variable namely English language imperialism on the dependent variable namely students' psychology. The results indicated a notable interconnection among various psychological factors, collectively exerting a significant influence on student’s psychological well-being. Since they consider it a sign of accomplishment in their academic and professional careers.

Striving towards true equity in global health: A checklist for bilateral research partnerships.

Interest in "global health" among schools of medicine, public health, and other health disciplines in high-income countries (HIC) continues to rise. Persistent power imbalances, racism, and maintenance of colonialism/neocolonialism plague global health efforts, including global health scholarship. Scholarly projects conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) by trainees at these schools in HIC often exacerbate these problems. Drawing on published literature and shared experiences, we review key inequalities within each phase of research, from design through implementation and analysis/dissemination, and make concrete and practical recommendations to improve equity at each stage. Key problems facing global health scholarship include HIC-centric nature of global health organizations, paucity of funding directly available for LMIC investigators and trainees, misplaced emphasis on HIC selected issues rather than local solutions to local problems, the dominance of English language in the scientific literature, and exploitation of LMIC team members. Four key principles lie at the foundation of all our recommendations: 1) seek locally derived and relevant solutions to global health issues, 2) create paired collaborations between HIC and LMIC institutions at all levels of training, 3) provide funding for both HIC and LMIC team members, 4) assign clear roles and responsibilities to value, leverage, and share the strengths of all team members. When funding for global health research is predicated upon more ethical and equitable collaborations, the nature of global health collaborations will evolve to be more ethical and equitable. Therefore, we propose the Douala Equity Checklist as a 20-item tool HIC and LMIC institutions can use throughout the conduct of global health projects to ensure more equitable collaborations.

The Impact of English Language Dominance in Music Therapy Learning Resources on Indonesian Music Therapy Students’ Practice

English remains one of the top global languages that is used to bridge language differences in various regions in the world. According to Szmigiera (2021), in 2020 there were approximately 1.35 billion English speakers around the world. English is one of the foreign languages often used by Indonesians to connect with people and explore knowledge from other countries. A few roles that the English language plays in Indonesia are supporting economic and business development, building international relations, supporting the education system, and others (Crystal, 1997). This is also the case with music therapy education in Indonesia. Ever since the beginning of the music therapy program at Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia, the program coordinators were all educated through – and have taught the students in the university with – English-dominated education materials and resources. Despite its benefits, this also had posed an issue with a few students in the past due to the difference in their cultural and language background. Some of the students had struggled to comprehend the learning materials; this, in turn, affected their understanding of the practice. However, despite the struggles, some students had also reported the benefits of using English education materials. This study aims to: 1) reveal the impact of English-language resources on the students’ music therapy understandings and practice, and 2) evaluate whether there is a concrete action that can be taken to improve the system. Both will be explored through the perspective of the students. In this narrative inquiry study, ten Indonesian students from Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia, were interviewed on their experiences of using English-language learning materials and resources, the impact on their practice, and their opinion on actions for improvements. This study hopes to raise the awareness of the wide impact that English-dominance in music therapy learning resources might impose. Abstrak Bahasa Inggris adalah salah satu bahasa global yang digunakan untuk menjembatani perbedaan bahasa di berbagai belahan dunia. Menurut Szmigiera (2021), di tahun 2020 tercatat sekitar 1.35 miliar pengguna Bahasa Inggris di dunia. Bahasa Inggris merupakan salah satu bahasa asing yang sering digunakan oleh penduduk Indonesia untuk berinteraksi dan memperoleh wawasan dari luar negeri. Beberapa peran yang dimiliki bahasa Inggris di Indonesia adalah mendukung laju pekembangan ekonomi dan bisnis, membangun relasi internasional, mendukung sistem edukasi, dan lainnya (Crystal, 1997). Salah satu contohnya adalah edukasi terapi musik di Indonesia. Sedari awal dibentuknya program terapi musik di Universitas Pelita Harapan di Indonesia hingga sekarang, semua koordinator program menamatkan pendidikan - dan mengajar mahasiswa dengan - materi edukasi dan sumber daya yang didominasi bahasa Inggris. Perbedaan latar belakang budaya dan bahasa menimbulkan permasalahan bagi beberapa mahasiswa. Mereka merasa kesulitan untuk memahami materi pembelajaran dan akibatnya berdampak pada pemahaman mereka akan praktik terapi musik. Namun di samping kesulitan yang dialami, beberapa mahasiswa juga menyampaikan dampak baik dari penggunaan materi pembelajaran berbahasa Inggris. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah: 1) mengungkap dampak dari materi pembelajaran berbahasa Inggris terhadap pemahaman dan praktik mahasiswa terapi musik, dan 2) mengevaluasi apabila ada hal konkrit yang dapat dilakukan untuk memperbaiki sistem edukasi terapi musik di Indonesia. Keduanya akan dieksplorasi melalui perspektif mahasiswa. Studi ini adalah studi naratif, dimana sepuluh mahasiswa Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia diwawancarai tentang pengalaman mereka dalam menggunakan materi pembelajaran berbahasa Inggris, dampaknya terhadap praktik mereka, dan opini mereka tentang hal yang dapat dilakukan untuk perbaikan. Melalui studi ini, peneliti berharap dapat meningkatkan kesadaran akan dampak luas dominasi bahasa Inggris dalam materi pembelajaran terapi musik.

“Tumblr is dominated by America:” a study of linguistic and cultural differences in Tumblr transnational fandom

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the American-centric, English-language dominance of Tumblr. It reviews current research on Tumblr culture, transcultural fandom, and linguistic differences in fandom to analyze the ways international fans engage and disengage with U.S.-centric Tumblr and fandom. Through the analysis of 19 interviews to members of a transnational Tumblr anime fandom, the paper addresses their perception and understanding of the platform’s cultural biases as an American corporate owned, English language dominated social network site. The paper then explores the international fans’ motivations to join their English-language Tumblr fandom. It highlights the double nature of their Tumblr transnational fandom as an American-centric but global space in virtue of the use of English as lingua franca. It then analyzes the fans’ engagement and disengagement strategies with different branches of their fandom through the use of different languages and platforms.

Minority language education: Reconciling the tensions of language revitalisation and the benefits of bilingualism

AbstractResearch has highlighted the significance of the family and community in minority language revitalisation, whilst raising concern for efforts solely focused at the school level. This article draws upon research with children in Gaelic Medium Education, in Scotland, to explore their experiences and perceptions of their language use. The findings illustrate the dominance of English language across multiple aspects of children's lives and highlight the opportunities/threats of recent revitalisation efforts to push the bilingual benefits of language learning. The findings suggest the need for a more considered approach, such as translanguaging pedagogies, in order to effectively revitalise Gaelic language.

Family Language Policies of Vietnamese–Australian Families

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate reported family language policies (quy tắc sử dụng ngôn ngữ cho gia đình) and language maintenance practices among Vietnamese–Australian parents. This mixed-methods study collected 151 Vietnamese–Australian parents' responses to close- and open-ended questions within an online questionnaire that was available both in English and Vietnamese. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were conducted to explore associations between family language policies and factors related to demographics and Spolsky's language policy theory. Content analysis was undertaken in NVivo to investigate family language policies. One-third of the participants (35.6%) reported to have a family language policy and 72.5% of those with a policy indicated that they consistently implemented their policy. Significant factors associated with having a family language policy were parents' higher Vietnamese proficiency, more Vietnamese language use with their children, and intention of future residence in Vietnam. The four identified language policies were as follows: (1) using Vietnamese with the nuclear family (FLP1), (2) Vietnamese outside the nuclear family (FLP2), (3) English at home (FLP3), and (4) English outside the home (FLP4). Some families used more than one of these concurrently. This is one of the first large-scale mixed-method studies to explore family language policies, and the first to explore this issue with Vietnamese-speaking families in Australia. Many Vietnamese–Australian families do not explicitly have a family language policy aimed at maintaining Vietnamese at home; therefore, the Vietnamese–Australian community is at risk of a shift toward English language dominance and home language loss. As a result, the benefits of multilingualism within the Vietnamese–Australian community may be lost without support from the government and community to maintain their home language.

Явище англоварваризації в українському освітньо‑науковому середовищі: історія і сучасність

У статті вперше порушено проблему рецепції чужих мов та запозичень в історично-порівняльному та діахронно-синхронному контексті.Об’єктом дослідження є освітньо-наукова сфера (Міністерство освіти і науки України) на предмет уживання чужих мов та запозичень. Проаналізовано функціювання церковнослов’янської та латинської мов як найпоширеніших в українському просторі в часи пізнього Середньовіччя та Передмодерного часу з проєкцією на сьогоднішнє засилля англійської мови та англізмів в освітньо-науковій царині.Для відображення процесів надмірного і невмотивованого вживання англізмів запроваджено термін англоварваризація як мовно-суспільне і мовно-психологічне патологічне явище, що виникає на переламі історичних подій і сигналізує про відсутність ментального спротиву народу-мови до безпрецедентного потоку запозичень, які стають фактичною заміною своєї мови і творять із неї антикультурний масив підлеглої комунікації; це примітивне заперечення закону рівноваги чужих і питомих слів у фонетичній, словотвірній і граматичній адаптації та етнокультурна неспроможність називати власні поняття питомими словами.Як засвідчує історична ретроспектива, орієнтація на чужі мови як пріоритетні в освітній і науковій царинах — церковнослов’янська, латинська, грецька, польська — та масовані запозичення з них аж ніяк не зарадили українському національному самоусвідомленню та не спричинилися до відновлення втраченої Української Держави в її етнографічних межах. Зовсім навпаки — надмірне циркулювання чужих мов в культурно-політичному просторі України та їхня пріоритетність в освітньо-науковій царині призвело до понад кількастолітнього відставання українських державотворчих процесів порівняно з найближчими і дальшими сусідами. Орієнтація на чуже відчужила українців від самих себе.Історичний досвід циркулювання чужих мов в Україні та надмірних запозичень у своїй мові переконливо спростовує затерту тезу про позитивність явища мовного експансіонізму та глобалізму. Своя держава і нація, попри якнайширшу потребу знання чужих мов, потребує всеохопного та необмеженого функціювання державної мови. Хто не визначає першорядности свого, служитиме чужому.

African language use in the digital public sphere: Functionality of the localised Google webpage in Zimbabwe

The widely used web search engine in Zimbabwe, Google, offers a localised webpage with an option to change the language from English to African languages for users to find information using their favoured languages. This article interrogates the practicality of the localised Google webpage which is also available in ChiShona, IsiNdebele, Chichewa and Setswana, over and above English, the main language. The enquiry employs the qualitative research approach, specifically the survey method. Empirical data were collected from conveniently and purposively selected African language academics and students using unstructured questionnaires, personal and group interviews. Elements of linguistic imperialism and electronic colonisation concepts are deployed to explain African language use on the Internet, in the context of English language dominance in Zimbabwe and the global digital divide. While localisation of the Google webpage to some extent demonstrates global multilingual inclusivity, the article shows its redundancy in the context of present language policy and practices that promote English. We maintain that while the discourse of linguistic inclusivity is important and applauded, presently the localised Google webpage is ineffectual due to the entrenched English language hegemony nationally, and on the Internet. This study is a significant addition to the burgeoning body of scholarship on African language use in the digital public sphere.

Английский язык и тренды англоязычных стран в глобальных процессах межкультурного и межъязыкового взаимодействия в России

We consider the phenomenon of global processes arising as a result of the English language popularity growing in Russian reality and linguoculture. Using the studying the linguistic landscape method, the penetration of English-speaking countries’ cultural elements into media landscape and everyday life in the Far East of Russia is analyzed. To study the contact of the languages on the subject of crosscultural and interlinguistic interaction, the languages of the peoples of a certain territory of Russia and foreign languages are taken into account. As a result of the observations and analysis of the linguistic landscape obtained factual material in Russia’s eastern cities, the study proves the interaction of languages and cultures, shows the tendency of the English language dominance and the trends of the English-speaking countries. Moreover, the phenomenon of the Glocal English has been observed and confirmed by the unique combination of the global and local in the studied territories, while national and territorial (ethnical) peculiarities are taken into account. In addition to interlanguage, the crosscultural interaction have been studied, namely, the elements of western cultures and customs are investigated. Due to globalization a lot of western cultural and business traditions have been incorporated into the Russian reality (ways of spending free time, holding events, holidays, ways of running business or trade). To prove the global character of the current trends, the study provides the examples of these phenomena in the remote regions from the European and English-speaking countries – in the Far East of Russia (Baikal and Transbaikal Territory).

#RhetoricSoEnglishOnly: Decolonizing rhetorical studies through multilingualism

ABSTRACTRhetorical scholarship must move in new linguistic and decolonial directions, to illustrate those languages/cultures/nationalities that have been marginalized in academia. English language dominance in the academy reflects relations of power, race, ethnicity, culture, globalization, colonization, and dualistic ways of thinking. Fluency in English is a type of linguistic capital that is preferred and demanded within academic scholarship in the US and globally. This essay explores what might we consider from other (non-dominant) languages and cultures that would expand our understandings of rhetoric and rhetorical practice, drawing from examples in Indonesian and Spanish. I also examine questions such as: How might concepts in other languages besides English enhance our knowledge and understanding of multicultural rhetorical practices? How are those who are multilingual expected to engage in multilingual work with little recognition for that academic, personal, and emotional labor? The profound impact that language usage has on all of us should be of utmost concern and interest for rhetorical scholars as we seek to understand how audiences connect with rhetorics of all kinds.

The need for language planning to address English-language media pressures on minority language survival in bilingual populations

Typical assumptions regarding language planning applied to populations bilingual in English and in a second, minority language are realised in an epidemiological system dynamics model. These assumptions are shown to fail to consider the overwhelming and growing influence of English-language media, both passive (entertainment) and active (especially social media). This influence is subsequently modelled as an English-speaking population of high connectivity, attracting actual and potential bilinguals to effective unilingualism. The flow and loop structure of the model is demonstrated to entail long-term English language dominance. The model is applied to bilingual populations in the United Kingdom, Eire, and New Zealand. Recent trends are duplicated and projections given. Threshold values of parameters critical for survival and for the attainment of published goals are found, and current language planning criticised with reference to these.

\u2018What\u2019s in a name? The power of the English language in secondary school science education\u2019

The global dominance of the English language has led to intense debates with the emergence of studies of English as a lingua franca. These debates can be positioned along a continuum stretching from those who see the spread of English as a force of good representing progress and those who see it as a destructive force of globalisation. Between these two extremes are those who suggest that languages such as Creole and other ‘hybrid’ languages are essential in particular contexts, while also supporting the use of standardised English in others. Such debates are particularly salient in the context of Jamaica, where the official language and the language of instructions at all levels of schooling is Jamaican Standard English (JSE) but many of the people are first language speakers of Jamaican Creole (JC). Despite its valorisation, JC has not substantially challenged the prestige position of JSE in the Jamaican classroom. Such perspectives have been used to situate and position the English language as a hegemonic force that serves to reinforce inequalities in the teaching and learning of science. Against a background of the Creole-speaking environment in Jamaica, this paper investigates the dominance of English language in secondary school science. Participants were selected from five school types in Jamaica: junior high, private, technical, traditional and upgraded secondary. Data concerning students’ and teachers’ attitudes and opinions were collected using semi-structured interviews. The results suggest that, despite evidence that attitudes towards JC are changing, it was clear from the student and teacher interviews that JSE continued to dominate scientific discourse in Jamaican classrooms. Evidence of JSE as a hegemonic language was pervasively present throughout the discussions with the participants, with many supporting the use of JSE as the sole medium of instruction in science discourse. The argument that JSE speakers were more intelligent and more likely to be successful resonated with many participants and highlighted an ideological acceptance of the hegemonic order.

Resistance is Futile

Resistance is Futile Thomas C. Marshall (bio) Du Bois's Telegram: Literary Resistance and State Containment Juliana Spahr Harvard University Press www.hup.harvard.edu 256 Pages; Cloth, $29.95 This book is in part an autobiography about . . . how I came to realize that if I wanted to understand the peculiar challenges that face writers who want to write against the empire in which they find themselves I could not understand this without also understanding that poetry is "stubbornly national." The structure of this book's argument loops out from some twenty-first century poetry back through twentieth-century poetry and politics and again up to current times. This circle provides a useful historical analysis of the roots of that big question about working "against the empire" that many writers and other progressive artists face today. After this book's scrutiny of those roots, we return to our moment with a fuller awareness of many of the forces (negative and positive) at work in our literary world. Poet and scholar Juliana Spahr investigates both modes of "literary resistance" and those of "state containment" or recuperation of those resistances. She does so deftly and with convincing detail, more from history than from poetry, which puts us in position to freshly resist that co-optation. The book seems weakest, unfortunately, in Chapter 1 but finds its momentum in building its argument as it goes back through how we got to this point. It is a little weak in that first chapter because it is hard to tell where the argument is going when we begin with a presentation of recent positive achievements in American "literature in English that includes other languages" without a cogent explanation of why this is important. However, the importance of the big question about empire keeps us going. Du Bois's Telegram moves forward to amass evidence and feeling for a newly effective sort of communities imagined in relevant and resistant writing. The introduction sets up questions about how literature might go beyond its role in nationalism, however valuable that might be in nation-building at its proper historical moment, to help create meaningful and useful resistance to nationalist abuses like cultural and linguistic oppressions and exclusions. Each of the four central chapters then takes on another related aspect of those questions about autonomy and containment: multilinguistic works trying to face down Englishlanguage dominance; modernism's worldwide roots and its stylistic enthusiasms actually being used to corral it by government agencies, major funding foundations, and the universities; movement arts in the '60s and '70s, squelched by those same forces; the further workings of this "cultural diplomacy" program here and abroad to recuperate even "avant-garde" literary energies into "safe," "American" national pride in "diversity" and "multiculturalism." Some effort is spent addressing counter-arguments effectively, but a few terms and ideas are left dangling without definition and critical development (such as those in quotation marks in my previous sentence). This book is conveniently short and well focused, but it seems to suffer a little at times from the academic and art world malady of being too focused on its own crowd as readers. She has gathered a great deal of useful info organized to back effective ideas, but there are gaps to be filled in for a wider audience. The most important sentence in the book comes late in chapter 4: "Literature has been sequestered into irrelevance." This book concisely shows a lot about how this has happened through the policies and actions of the CIA, the State Department, major funding foundations, and the universities— and about how it happened in response to progressive social and literary movements trying to end run the system. A couple of pages after that statement about irrelevance, Spahr writes: "Literature has a long history of teaching about inequality. It just is in this current moment too dependent on those institutions that create and maintain inequality to be a meaningful alternative to them." She tells her personal story to show how the literature that she herself creates does not reach her own family and friends back home, and she concludes Chapter 4 pessimistically. The conclusion to Du...

Dental education in the Arabic language vs English language: A survey among Arab dentists.

Objective:The aim of this study was to explore the language difficulties encountered by Arabic dental students and dentists in some aspects of their dental education and to determine their attitude towards the Arabization of the medical curriculum.Materials and Methods:A web-based self-administered questionnaire with 14 multiple-choice questions was designed and distributed online via google forms in the Arabic language. The online link was sent randomly to Arabic dental students, dental academic staff, and dental practitioners. The survey questions explored language problems during reading, attending lectures and scientific conferences, preparing scientific researches, taking deferent exams, and the attitudes towards Arabization. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the responses to the questions.Results:There were 378 respondents for this study. Nevertheless, paying high attention to the importance of English language as the global language of communication, (70.6%) of the respondents believed that studying in Arabic is a basic requirement for the Arabs. Near percentage agreed that mastering their mother tongue is much easier than to acquire another language, which further facilitates studying and improves understanding. More than (65%) of the subjects preferred a mixture of both languages for attending lectures, conferences, and exams. But (68.3%) said that they use English when they search for any subject related to dentistry.Conclusion:There has been a consensus on the need for receiving knowledge in the Arabic language, and the importance of studying the mother tongue for enhancing understanding and memorization. The results demonstrated that the idea of teaching some dental courses in Arabic is not impossible and it might be the key to improve dental study for the Arabs. Consequently, a majority stated that there were obstacles in teaching dentistry in fully Arabic language due to the dominance of English language internationally and the weak possibilities of Arabization and translation in the Arab world.

English as Lingua Franca: Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of English Language on Vietnamese Graduate Student Learning

Aim/Purpose: In this study, we explored the learning experiences of graduate students enrolled at Vietnamese-German University (VGU), a transnational collaborative university that uses English as the language for instruction that is primarily conducted by German faculty. Background: Transnational education has gained in popularity across the globe, often with English serving as the common language, or lingua franca. However, English as lingua franca contributes to learning challenges as a result of English language dominance in academia. Methodology: Case study methodology was used to examine the learning experiences of graduate students at Vietnamese-German University, with the institution as the case and 24 participants as the unit of analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face which allowed for rich data. Contribution: Transnational education has gained significant attention in recent years, including how language may influence operations and motivations of institutions. However, few studies exist that examine English as lingua franca at transnational universities from the student perspective. The context of Vietnam is also important as Asia is a growing region for the establishment of transnational universities. Findings: Participants expressed that the primary reason they chose to attend VGU was because of its use of English as lingua franca. However, they experienced several challenges, particularly with technical jargon and an overall language barrier in the classroom. Participants navigated challenges with three strategies for learning: asking the professor questions, talking with peers, and using supplemental resources to understand unfamiliar concepts. Recommendations for Practitioners: Results from this study include implications for instructors to better meet the needs of non-native English learners in the classroom, such as supporting peer engagement, group work, and engaging in pedagogical training. Impact on Society: The findings from this study provides additional perspectives on how English as lingua franca allows for affordances and challenges for student learning at transnational universities in Vietnam. The results of this study could inform other transnational universities in Asia. Future Research: Recommendations for future research include examining English as lingua franca from the perspectives of instructors. Additional suggestions include longitudinal studies on the outcomes of graduates’ English language learning and how English language training contributed to their employment in the global sector.

THE USE OF STANDARDIZED ENGLISH EXAMS IN THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE

Have you heard of the ITEP/TOEIC/TSE/BULLATS/TOEFL/CELTA/DELTA exams? Among many others, these exams are currently being promoted not only by educative institutions, but by a large number of local governments and even international relationship instances (Bunce, 2016). On this regard, it is imperative to wonder and analyze how the idea of taking language exams became into fashion and at what moment in history it became into a necessity, a requirement, or as synonym of social and academic status. On such basis this study aims at determining how the implementation of English international tests have contributed in the spread of English globally.
 The spread of the English language globally has occurred because of different factors. Clyne (2008) regards the demographic aspect as an important element for the growth and rapid evolution of this language. The effect of the use of the English language has reached almost all the areas of human domain such as the educational. The spread in this area has determined the future of many countries.
 On the field of education, a standardized visible system is clearly set. Most of the books and material used to teach English are based on the Common European Framework. This framework stablishes the standardization of teaching contents and methodologies which are later used and applied into exams to evaluate students´ English language proficiency around the world.
 CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) programs have been implemented in schools in many countries of the world like Asia, Australia and Europe. “In recent years, LAC and CLIL are gaining intense attention particularly in context where English is learnt as a foreign language or as an international language” (Lin, 2016, p.1). Lin regards this implementation to the desire of countries like the Asian for becoming modern and take part in the development of a global economy.
 When comparing English with other languages it can be said that it is the pioneer in standardizing a language. According to Mulcaster (as cited by Crystal, 2003, p. 73) the English language had no competence internationally. If we take a look at other languages trying to do the same, it can be seen that they have not become as successful as English. It does not matter if those systems are better, they simply have not been able to reach that level of internationalization. The important fact here is that those countries in these case languages do not have the economic, political power, and the influence that The United States has.
 According to Sharifian (2010, p.192) the English language dominance originated along the colonialism period. Phillipson (as cited in Sharifian, 2010) explains that “many elites in society have strong links with the inner circle because they have been educated in inner circle countries”. The inner circle is referred to countries where the English language is spoken as a mother tongue.
 To conclude, this essay presents an analysis of the way standardized exams have contributed widely to the internationalization of English around the world. This standardized examination system has influenced in many aspects like education, negotiation, culture, ideology and public policy. It will present an overview about every aspect mentioned as well as the causes and effects of these factors which have influence in a positive and negative way in society. Besides, there will be presented examples in a general way about percentages of people who have taken standardized exams and how it has contributed to the expansion of English around the world.