Ownership Of English Research Articles

Developing a Questionnaire for Assessing Iranian English Learners'/Teachers' World Englishes Conceptualization-Guilan Universities

The unprecedented growth of the number of World Englishes and needs of communication among experts calls for English language teaching programs to take into consideration the place and relevance of teachers' and learners' conceptualization of paradigm of WEs. The present research studies the global status of WEs and its conceptualization among Iranian English teachers and learners. It is presenting a thematic instrument to examine the extent to which Iranian EFL and ELIC-SP teachers' and learners' conceptualization of WEs can be effective in the fields of global communication, research, development and science. In the first phase of the present study a theoretical framework and its components were developed through reviewing the literature and conducting interviews with ELT experts and EFL and ESP learners. In the second phase, a questionnaire was developed and piloted with 300 participants who were available and willing to participate in the study. The 46 items of the newly-developed ‘WEs Con.' scale were subjected to principal component analysis which revealed the presence of four components, relevance of WEs Con. To EFL, ESP, Culture, Ownership of English and Standard English. These phases led to the development of a questionnaire with four components and 46 items.

A lesson in teaching English while White

AbstractThis article offers a close analysis of a 90‐minute teaching sequence in an English as a foreign language classroom of an adult basic education program for refugee‐background learners in a Finnish community college. The White European‐heritage teacher, the author of the article, researcher on‐site, and substitute teacher at that point, taught a lesson with a focus on ownership of English to a group of about 15 adult learners of color from mostly Middle Eastern and African backgrounds. She used peer‐supported discourse analysis of the lesson transcript to better understand the processes of Whiteness that interfered with students’ learning and engagement during the lesson. This revealed that the researcher‐teacher’s discourses and practices erased racial differences between her and the learners, perpetuated Eurocentric ideologies of argumentation, and positioned her as “white listening subject” (Flores & Rosa, 2015a) vis‐à‐vis the students. A theoretical lens of critical Whiteness pedagogy (e.g., Matias & Mackey, 2016) helps understand these findings within larger racist and Eurocentric structures of educational systems and socialization. Each finding feeds into recommendations for teachers and teacher educators, particularly those who received their education in predominantly White institutions but work in racially and culturally diverse contexts.

Perennial Language Learners or Competent Language Users: An Investigation of International Students’ Attitudes towards Their Own and Native English Accents

English is widely used as a global language. The traditional monolithic model of English has been challenged as the development of World Englishes (WE) and English as a lingua franca (ELF) paradigms challenge the ownership of English. With this newly emerging status quo, English language teaching (ELT) should also recognize the diversity and dynamism of English. This article discusses students’ attitudes towards their own and native English accents, and describes the influence of English accents in ELT. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with nine international students from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka who were studying at a university in Southern Thailand. The derived data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that most students still perceived their accents as being deficient, and they believed that native speakers’ English accents were the norm of English use and the ultimate learning goal. Thus, entrenched native ideology was still persistent among these students. The article also provides some implications for pronunciation teaching from a WE and ELF framework with the Teaching of Pronunciation for Intercultural Communication (ToPIC). It is hoped that an awareness of English as a global language could be recognized, and ToPIC could be applied to ELT in more contexts to reflect the global status of English.

Eye on the Future: Diverse Family Language Policy in Three Singaporean Malay Homes with Preschool Children

Singapore’s bilingual education policy mandates children study English and a mother-tongue in school. To understand the language shift from Malay to English in Malay homes from the perspective of family language policy, this paper reports on the diverse language ideologies and practices of three Singaporean Malay mothers of preschool children. The in-depth interviews were conducted in 2013- 2014 and transcribed verbatim by a bilingual English-Malay transcriptionist. Although the mothers were of similar ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, their home language practices were distinctly different. Their language practices reflected the beliefs, values, and feelings they ascribed to Malay, English, and Mandarin, languages their preschool-age children were exposed to as well as their ideas about language development and bilingualism in Singapore. While subscribing to some state bilingual education policy assumptions, mothers actively formed different family language policies to resist the state bilingual policy, shield their children from academic pressure, and carve out a unique Malay identity. Major forces such as Malay as a minority, language and social mobility, and English ownership, in addition to state bilingual policy and education system, were discussed in connection to mothers’ family language policy.

Promoting EMI Teacher Development in EFL Higher Education Contexts: A Teacher Educator’s Reflections

While there is a growing research interest in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) teaching and learning in university contexts, relatively limited attention has been paid to EMI teacher development. Drawing on my past and ongoing teaching and research practice as an EMI teacher educator, this Viewpoint article considers the emotional, pedagogical and social barriers faced by university EMI teachers in China. Based on a critical analysis and discussion of the barriers, this Viewpoint proposes an EMI teacher development framework, and argues for helping EMI teachers foster a sense of ownership of English as a global language, developing effective classroom language, and cultivating discipline-specific pedagogical competence in a community of practice. This framework is a point of reference for designing and implementing effective EMI teacher education programmes in English as a foreign language (EFL) higher education settings.

Language ideologies and English in Chinese primary education

ABSTRACT English education has been promoted widely in China and has driven scholarly attention to young Chinese learners of English. However, not much has been done to address language ideologies embedded in English education oriented towards young Chinese learners from a perspective informed by the research on the global spread of English as a lingua franca (ELF). To narrow the gap, we adopt an ELF perspective to investigate textbook representations and teacher perceptions of English in relation to culture and identity in Chinese primary education. The findings demonstrate a Standard English ideology and an essentialist approach to language. We thus argue for a reconsideration of ‘English’ in primary education in order to empower young generations of English learners in China. While English is an essential language for international engagement, it is necessary to reconsider the relationship between English and China and to review the ownership of English.

Beliefs about English as an International Language (EIL): voices from Persian-speaking English teachers

ABSTRACT The present study sought to investigate how non-native English-speaking teachers in Iran recognize the legitimacy of different emerging varieties of English and how they perceive native speaker language norms and the linguistic diversity of present-day English use. Participants included 210 teachers of English from the Persian-speaking context, falling within expanding circle countries. Questionnaires and interviews were used to explore these teachers’ beliefs about EIL. The findings indicated the teachers’ acknowledgment of the ownership of English by both native and non-native speakers and also the legitimacy of non-native varieties of English as long as they are comprehensible. However, contrary to the great significance attributed to different varieties of English and to intelligibility in the use of EIL, the findings revealed that there was a widely shared aspiration among the teachers for native speakers’ Standard English rather than World Englishes in language classrooms. They maintained that English language learners should acquire Standard English for perfect communication and avoid non-native English varieties. This mismatch between teachers’ recognition of English varieties and their preference for Standard English in classroom instruction evidences the need to assist teachers in re-appraising their prevalent presumptions about native speakerism in their teaching practice and adopting more EIL-aware pedagogy.

Who ‘owns English’ in our changing world? Exploring the perception of Thai university students in Thailand

ABSTRACT With the rapid spread of English nowadays as an international language, this study seeks to investigate the perception of Thai English major university students in Southern Thailand towards the ownership of English and itsa relationship to effective English teaching. Twenty students across different universities in Southern Thailand participated in this study. A semi-structured interview was employed for data collection, after a semi-structured questionnaire analysis. Qualitative content analysis was utilized for data analysis. The findings show that English is no longer the sole property of any particular country, nationality or external appearance but is a global lingua franca. The participants illustrate that every English user has the right to claim ownership of English and to utilize it in their preferred way without emphasizing the native speaker norms. Additionally, the findings indicate that there is no relationship between the native backgrounds of the teachers and their teaching (in)effectiveness.

Attitudes to English in the Kaleidoscopic Iranian Context: Second, Foreign or International?

Today’s world seems to be quite overwhelmingly concerned with communication as an incontestable aspect of which is communicating with people lacking a shared linguistic background. A common language (or lingua franca) would, therefore, be needed which can cut across all local, national, and regional linguistic boundaries. This study aimed at exploring the attitudes of 400 bilingual and monolingual college students and EFL learners. It investigated English language status in the linguistically diverse context of Iran. For the purpose of the study, a standardized questionnaire containing 37 Likert-type items was distributed. Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis revealing that learners from different linguistic backgrounds had significantly different reactions and attitudes to the issues such as: General perception to English, Status of English, text and content matter comprehensibility through English, job prospects, official status, culture learning, integrating with American or British cultures, religion and foreign language learning, English ownership, Adherence to British English, American English or English as an international language.

Linguistic insecurity and the linguistic ownership of English among Singaporean Chinese

AbstractLinguistic insecurity and linguistic ownership rest on the same foundational ideas. However, despite the extensive study of both, the two concepts have never been discussed in conjunction. This paper refines both concepts and puts forth a set of conditions to test for the presence of linguistic insecurity and the exercise of linguistic ownership in 287 Singaporeans through an empirical survey examining their use of English, as well as their perceptions of other speakers in the Singapore English‐speaking community and Singapore English itself. The results reveal that Singaporeans are linguistically insecure but yet exercise full ownership of the English language. These somewhat paradoxical findings uncover an unusual relationship between linguistic insecurity and ownership. We argue in this paper that there exists a new type of linguistic ownership in Singapore, one that does not invoke notions of authority or legitimacy. It is this new notion of linguistic ownership that drives a new brand of linguistic insecurity documented in this paper.

Thai Language Learners' Sense of English Ownership

Thai Language Learners' Sense of English Ownership

Ownership of English in the Outer and Expanding Circles: teachers’ attitudes toward pronunciation in ESL/EFL teaching contexts

ABSTRACTIn spite of the pluralistic view of English, the status of new Englishes is still largely considered controversial, and the presence of many varieties of English has important ramifications for teaching and assessment. This article examines the attitudes of 240 Outer Circle (OC) and Expanding Circle (EC) English teachers’ awareness of and attitudes toward pronunciation in English as a second language/ English as a foreign language teaching contexts and how they respond to the proposal of a World Englishes approach in their teaching practice. The article showcases deeply rooted favo ritism toward American English among EC teachers and British English among OC teachers, and illustrates how relevant challenges arising from these attitudes can be addressed to meet the changing needs of future participants in international contexts. This article aims to contribute to the field of World Englishes, where studies relating to the OC and EC contexts are largely limited.

(Co)constructing use, belonging and legitimacy. A study of English language ownership in Italy

The conviction that the ownership of English is shared among its users worldwide has long been held by linguists whose work has ushered in new paradigms in the ways of conceptualizing and researching language. Yet, research that explores how English users understand and construct ownership is lacking in many contexts. The present article aims to fill this gap by investigating the nature of language ownership among English learners in Naples, Italy. Drawing on the framework for language ownership delineated in Seilhamer (2015), questionnaire data and interview moments with four case study participants are analyzed to explore how high school students construct relationships with English and understandings of ownership in terms of prevalent usage, affective belonging, and legitimate knowledge. The findings unveil the dynamic ways in which understandings of language ownership, which is agentively (co)constructed and negotiated, are capable of continuously shifting in different settings and with different interlocutors.

A History of IATEFL

You would be forgiven for walking past this book in a bookshop – after all, how gripping is a history of an association likely to be? – but in fact, you would be missing a treat, because, in its own understated way, A History of IATEFL is a real page-turner. Shelagh Rixon and Richard Smith have put together not just a thorough historical account of how the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language was formed and how it grew into what it is today, but also a fascinating story of the squabbles, the plotting, and the occasional full-blown revolts that went on in the early days between the founders and those who wanted IATEFL to take a more radical path. There were some colourful figures and some big egos involved, but more importantly, the infighting reflected deep-rooted, passionately held disagreements about the English language, English language teaching, and principles of democratic governance. While the last 30 years have seen fewer public fights, the tensions remain, because, of course, the disagreements remain: questions about the ownership of English, the best way to teach, and the running of the organization are as hotly disputed now as they were then. So what we have here is not just a good reference work, but also a very good yarn.

Korean Pre-service English Teachers’ Attitudes towards Varieties of English as an International Language

The purpose of this study is to explore what attitudes Korean pre-service elementary and secondary English teachers have towards varieties of English as an international language (EIL), focusing on accent. It also examines the difference between the two groups. Three hundred and fifteen Korean college students participated in a questionnaire survey, including one hundred thirty students majoring in elementary English education and one hundred eighty five students in secondary English education. The results revealed that most of the participants have positive attitudes towards English varieties with an inconsistency between their understanding and value of EIL, and preference of English varieties. Both groups chose American English as the most intelligible, best liked, standard English and a target instruction variety because of the power its speakers have. They showed negative attitudes towards their own English variety, Korean English. It was suggested that pre-service teacher education programs need to focus on enhancing an understanding of EIL, ensuring intelligibility, building confidence and promoting an ownership of English for future Korean teachers of English.

University students’ perceptions of English as an International Language (EIL) in Taiwan and South Korea

ABSTRACTThis study investigated Taiwanese and Korean students’ perceptions of four aspects of English as an International Language (EIL): Current Status of English (CSE), Varieties of English (VE), Strategies for Multilingual/Multicultural Communication (SMC), and English Speakers’ Identity (ESI). The authors surveyed a total of 246 non-English majors at one university (N = 105) in Taiwan and at two universities (N = 141) in South Korea. Three major findings were identified in this study: first, these contemporary Far Eastern EFL students positively endorse general concepts of EIL. Second, both groups perceive their English ownership in a similar, positive manner in contrast to their own local varieties such as Taiwanese English and Korean English. Third, English listening materials that include non-native English-speaking (NNES) accents, and interaction between NNESs seem to be less accepted by Korean students than is the case for Taiwanese students. Along with practical suggestions, this study will add new knowledge to the current EIL literature and expand our understanding of this issue across different contexts.

“This Is Not Your Word”: Error, Language Privilege, and the Ownership of English

“This Is Not Your Word”: Error, Language Privilege, and the Ownership of English

Language Attitudes of Thai Working Adults Toward Native and Non-native English Varieties

The role of English as an international language (EIL) has prompted scholars to call for a shift in paradigm from teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to teaching English as an international language EIL (Boriboon 2011; Jenkins 2007; Kirkpatrick 2010; McKay 2002; McKay and Bokhorst-Heng 2008). While this view seems practical at a time when English is increasingly being used as a lingua franca, it also calls for a study of people’s perceptions toward different English varieties since people’s attitudes can have a direct impact on educational practices, second-language learning, and identity construction of English speakers. This present study investigates language attitudes of 80 Thai working adults toward native (American and British) and nonnative (Filipino, Singaporean, and Thai) varieties in terms of social status and competence, attractiveness, and linguistic quality through the use of the Verbal Guise Test (VGT) (80 participants) and semistructured interviews (10 participants). The results showed that the dominance of native varieties still prevails as native varieties are perceived more favorably than non-native counterparts in all dimensions, and remain the English accents that Thai speakers of English want to learn and use. The results also indicate that Thai speakers of English aim for certain native-based varieties due to intelligibility, the ownership of English, and identity reasons. Findings suggest the importance of awareness-raising of the diversity of English varieties among Thai speakers of English in order to promote a sense of linguistic tolerance and prepare them for interactions in ELF contexts where English is used as a default language for those whose native language is not shared.

Japanese university students’ attitudes towards their English and the possibility of ELF awareness

AbstractPrevious studies have identified Japanese negative attitudes towards their English and ambivalent attitudes towards the language (e.g. Jenkins 2007,English as a Lingua Franca: Attitude and identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Matsuda 2003, The ownership of English in Japanese secondary schools.World Englishes22(4). 483–496; McKenzie 2010,The social psychology of English as a global language: Attitudes, awareness and identity in the Japanese context. Dordrecht: Springer). The current research targets Japanese university students and adds several insights into the nature of these attitudes through the analysis of 95 open-ended questionnaires and 18 conversational interviews. First of all, the participants’ negative language attitudes embraced notable contradictions. Also, their ambivalence was scarcely evident, and more to the point, a matter of degree. Moreover, it is thedoxicexperience (Bourdieu 1977,Outline of a theory of practice. Trans. Richard Nice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) within Japanese society that was likely to hinder grounding those attitudes on their own critical thinking and valuing their English communication ability with non-Japanese. And most importantly, it was easy for them to appreciate English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) perspectives, so long as they would like to use English for international communication. More precisely, while they were unlikely to have any previous attitudes towards the unfamiliar representation of their English (i.e. from ELF perspectives), they were highly likely to develop positive attitudes towards it. This article calls for more future research and effort devoted to raising ELF awareness in Japanese and other similar contexts.

Attitudes towards English as an International Language (EIL) in Iran: Development and Validation of a New Model and Questionnaire

This study aimed at developing and validating a new model and instrument to explore attitudes of Iranian EFL learners towards English as an International Language (EIL). In so doing, the researchers followed several rigorous steps including extensive literature review, content selection, item generation, designing the rating scales and personal information part, Delphi technique, item revision, pilot testing, reliability estimation, and finally validation. In the first phase, five dimensions were identified for the new model based on the literature and interview with a panel of experts. An initial draft of the questionnaire consisting of 33 items was designed for investigating learners’ attitudes towards EIL. Then, it was piloted with a group of 170 Iranian EFL learners. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the obtained data revealed that the questionnaire consisted of a five factor structure. Consequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out with another 409 Iranian EFL learners to check the fitness of the proposed model. The result of CFA indicated that the model enjoyed a satisfactory level of goodness of fit, showing that the five-factor structure including cultural realism, linguistic cultural disposition (negative), (dis)ownership of English, EIL posture, and localization was not the result of random variance in the learners’ responses.