Use Of Standard English Research Articles

The Connection between Theorisations of English as a Lingua Franca Variation and Pedagogical Practice

The potential of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) to enable successful communication is implicitly theorised in a number of ELF publications and contrasted positively against Standard English (StE). The theorisations of ELF are limited by ambiguity about the types of communication that ELF communication practices and variations away from StE enable. That difficulty is also relevant to more recent complexity theory-based theorisations of ELF and English as a Multi Lingua Franca (EMF). Although what StE is remains partly unclear and ELF is positioned in these theorisations as a substitute for StE, it also remains unclear to what extent ELF communication practices and variations can substitute use of StE. The extent of ELF variation that can occur before it obstructs communication is also unclear. Examination of these problems allows a clearer understanding of what other empirical ELF research could be useful and the extent to which ELF can be the basis for a reorganisation of the pedagogy of English as a second language.

Pidginisation and Student‟s Language Performance in the College of Education, Akamkpa, Cross River State, Nigeria

The research was on the Pidginization and student’s language performance in the College of Education, Akamkpa, Cross River State Nigeria in particular, but recordings of student’s conversations in three other Colleges of Education in the South-South Zone were collected to ascertain the common language used in those Colleges. A hundred students’ in College of Education Akamkpa were randomly chosen from the population of NCE 1, II and III for the study. A questionnaire was drafted and distributed to illicit their responses. The qualitative responses were analyzed using the simple percentages to draw up the values. Fishman’s theory of domain was also tested to determine the validity and the correlation between the frequent use of Pidgin and academic performance. It was found that the use of Pidgin frequently in schools was an obstacle to good academic performance. It also showed that the frequent use of Pidgin affected the student’s proper use of Standard English. It was recommended that parents should be involved in the development process of their wards by discouraging the use of Pidgin at homes and that the Management of Schools should place notices on boards at strategic places to remind the students of the need to use standard English around the school environment.

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CAMEROONIAN ENGLISH

Social media has emerged as a popular new technology that has spread all over the different sectors in Cameroon: education, business, government, print media, audiovisual media, etc. This new means of communication has eased the exchange of thoughts and ideas. The internet, as an aspect of new technologies, came along with a deviant form of writing peculiar to the younger generation in general and the Cameroonian youth in particular. This new system of communication gave rise to what is known as computer-mediated communication, which had become widely spread within the educational milieu in Cameroon. Social media has negatively influenced the use of Standard English in Cameroon, especially written texts, given that aspects of computer-mediated communication have rapidly replaced conversational writing forms. Such development in communication has affected language, which has gradually shifted from its original sound, sign, or symbol and complex sentence structures governed by grammatical rules to the language of text messaging with its simple syntax, incomplete sentence forms, informal structures, and modified ideograms known as emojis (happy faces, sad faces, excitement figures, blushing faces, etc.). This research aimed at analysing the writings of students at the University of Yaounde 1 to show the extent to which the use of social media has affected the written rendition of these students. To elucidate this, a study was done by analyzing their scripts and text messages. The communication accommodation theory was adopted to arrive at the expected results.

Standard English and the Distortion Introduced by Social Media Short Messages

This study assesses the negative effect of social media text messaging on the Standard Written English of Nigerian undergraduates. Data is elicited from the written English of undergraduates from the three most popularly used social media websites in Nigeria; namely, Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. The data is analyzed using a simple percentage. The results are presented in tabular form. The study reveals that the use of social media text messaging prevalent on social media platforms has impacted negatively, the Standard of written English of Nigerian university undergraduates. The study further observes that the major areas of deviation found in the written English language of the undergraduates include: wrong punctuation, wrong spelling, breaking of concord/agreement rules, code-mixing and code-switching, etc. The study shows that to a large extent, the use of text messages has affected adherence to Standard written English of undergraduates in Nigeria. The study, therefore, recommends that urgent pragmatic measures are needed to curb the problem. Specifically, the study recommends the following measures as checks: to awaken the consciousness of the undergraduates to the importance of the use of the Standard English language in their communication; to urge the media to use its functions as a watchdog of society to sensitize the public and condemn the profuse use of social media text at the expense of the use of Standard English and to enlighten undergraduates to use Standard English in all forms of their formal communication to uphold the continued development of Standard English usage in the universities and society at large.

Limits of translingualism

Academic publishing has undergone profound changes in recent years with ever-increasing inequalities between different groups of scholars (Global South vs Global North; Junior vs Established; Male vs Female, etc.). To counter some of this imbalance, recent theoretical developments in Socio- and Applied Linguistics have turned to translingual writing – here understood broadly as communicative innovations aimed at diversifying the academic register and moving away from the sole use of standard English. While recognizing translingual writing as a powerful and important subversion strategy, in this paper, we join others calling for mobilizing sociological theories that pay attention to structure as well as agency. We suggest that despite its many merits, translingual writing is ill-equipped to overturn the wealth, might and power of the current global academic publishing regime, which works inherently to maintain the status quo and to curb creative innovation. We conclude by advocating complementary forms of resistance to challenge and disrupt entrenched systemic inequalities.

English for Occupational Purposes for Arts Students: Alumni Feedback

Alumni feedback is an important means of determining whether a course is of relevance to the students’ needs. One of the courses that would benefit from their feedback is English for Occupational Purposes. Based on the practice at the workplace, graduates can provide information whether what was taught could be applied to their working environment. This study seeks to ascertain whether an EOP course is relevant to the needs of the graduates. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and a total of thirty alumni of an Arts Faculty responded to the survey. The findings indicate that the students benefited from the course, but a number of improvements can be made to make the course more effective. The study also highlighted the form of language used at work. The use of standard English, Malaysian English and Malay were found to be the highest in making small talks.

Standard English, Feedback, and the Positioning of Black and Latinx Preservice Teachers

The college readiness and standard English proficiency of preservice teachers of color are of increasing concern among those working to foster diversity within the teacher workforce. In this article, the author uses positioning theory to examine standard English proficiency and agency among first-generation Black and Latinx preservice teachers, looking specifically at standard English use and instructor feedback as mechanisms for marginalization and/or agency-building. The author then illustrates how positioning theory offers a practical schematic that instructors can use to guide and refine their practice to position preservice teachers in constructive and humanizing ways.

The Use of English in Advertising Messages of Thai Traditional Products

The research analysed the Thai-English grammar used in commercial and service advertising for Thai traditional products in the context of the economic and commercial promotion by the government. The sample group for the data collection came from a purposive sampling method conducted in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Prachuap Khiri Khan, totalling 525 data. Regarding the research based on the specific Thai-styled English grammar (Mallikamas, 2008), The use of English as a Lingua Franca in ASEAN community, and The use of English as a Lingua Franca, it was found that the language deviates in ten aspects of standard-English use as follows: 1) articles, 2) numbers, 3) negatives, 4) copula, 4) relative pronouns, 6) prepositions, 7) verb distribution, 8) subject-verb agreement, 9) collocations, and 10) ellipsis complements. Moreover, there were also some specific grammatical topics found other than the ones mentioned previously. These topics refer to six other deviations apart from the aforementioned standards found: serial verbs, verbless clause, adjectives, conjunctions, voice, and continual sentences. This language phenomenon may be assumed to occur as a result of interference between Thai and the target language, as both possess many differences from each other.

Why Only Focus on One Variety of English? A Problem in EIL Teaching in Vietnam

Although research has proposed the urgent need of exposing learners to World Englishes for enhancing learners’ intercultural competence, Standard English, which is either British English or American English, still remains dominant in English language classrooms in the Vietnamese context. This qualitative-designed case study aims to explore Vietnamese higher-education teachers’ explanations for the reasons behind and their perspectives towards embracing World Englishes in English language classrooms. The study employed semi-structured interviews to collect data from five Vietnamese lecturers. The participants’ answers were recorded before being converted into an Excel sheet. A Coding Process of Inductive Analysis (Cresswell, 2002) was adapted to analyze data. The results indicated that the factors including fixed materials, limited classroom time, teachers’ previous training in Standard English (SE) for their degrees, and learners’ favor of SE accounted for the main use of Standard English in language classrooms. Interestingly, however, all of the participants agreed that increasing knowledge of World Englishes is substantially necessary for successful intercultural communications. Moreover, learners are supposed to keep their identity in international encounters through their own English accents while still ensuring mutual intelligibility. The study drew on an implication for teachers to take an active role as transformative intellectuals in classrooms to make the EFL teaching process meet Vietnamese learners’ goals and needs.

Social and cultural aspects of language variation: view from the inside

Different groups of English-speaking population were interviewed. They discuss current situation with variability of English. Speakers of English can shift dialects according to social and cultural context. Some contexts imply the use of Standard English, others - dialects. The interviewed accept freedom of expression but they make judgments of those who misuse English.

BOOK/MEDIA REVIEWS

Interests and Opportunities: Race, Racism, and University Writing Instruction in the Post-Civil Rights Era, by Steve Lamos. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011, 211 pp., $24.95, paperback.College students from low-income families and first-generation college bound backgrounds have unfortunately become significant foci when discussing educational reform. One sees this with the publication Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (Arum & Roksa, 2011), where authors conclude that Black habits, Black style and Black skill sets are useless tool kits when fostering academic success (p. 114). book has gained popularity among academic reading groups at twoand four-year institutions. In light of such scholarship and new policies that will likely change the face of four-year institutions, Steve Lamos' Race, Racism, and University' Writing Instruction in the Post-Civil Rights Era gives readers a historical and theoretical framework for understanding how racial political discourse shape predominantly White four-year institutions admittance policies and supportive programming for minority students. Relying heavily on interest convergence-a framework created by critical race theorist Derrick Bell (1980; the first tenured African American professor of law at Harvard), which entails equality and the educational interests of Blacks will only be obtained by succumbing to White standards-Lamos' book offers an insightful examination of the ways in which Whiteness, White racism, and superior ideologies concerning language and literacy alter, and in some cases eliminate, high risk and basic writing programs at four year universities.In Chapter One, Lamos argues that high risk/basic writing programs are compromised by the racialized nature of discussions in disciplines and institutions surrounding minority student deficiencies and remediation (p. 3). As such, a sudden decline in race conscious, student-centered institutional programming that cater to minorities are intertwined with convergent and divergent racial rhetoric that emerged during the post-Civil Rights Era (p. 7). Through his work with the Rhetoric Program at (UIUC) University of Illinois's flagship campus in Champaign-Urbana and archival research of journals such as College Composition and Communication, College English and Journal of Basic Writing Lamos traces conversations in the discipline, mapping institutional ideologies which shape approaches and valuing of atrisk programs tailored to support marginalized students. Starting with Chapter Two, The Late 1960s and Early 1970s: Coming to Terms with Racial Crisis, the author establishes bidialecticalism,-acknowledge a need for at least some degree of attention to issues of race and racism within language and literacy instruction, however such instructional practices typically demand that Standard English use be recognized and emphasized as the explicit goal (p. 36)-as having been the dominant perspective among scholars at the time. In this very same chapter, Lamos quotes on numerous occasions Geneva Smitherman's scholarship on African American Vernacular English/Black English, and the Student's Right to Their Own Language (SRTOL) which was designed in 1974 to shift curriculum design by declaring appreciation of the diverse linguistic backgrounds students bring to composition and English classrooms, as a base for examining a period that promoted and acknowledged diverse cultural literacy practices while maintaining the important of Standard English.In Chapter Four, Lamos shows how a move toward writing assessment and competency testing relegated minority students to community colleges for remediation, instead of four-year institutions (p. 103). Additionally, basic writing/at-risk student populations changed as revised admission standards targeted students who had already exhibited mastery of Standard English. Such students according to Lamos came from middle-class backgrounds and performed college materialism that did not disrupt institutional standards. …

Standard English & World English: entre o siso e o riso

The use of grammatically incorrect English by foreign speakers, either in the classroom or out of it, is often seen as reproachable. Most teachers of English have the American or British speaker as the model to which their students should aspire. This belief in grammatical propriety can manifest itself in many ways throughout society, and mistakes in the use of Standard English can often trigger public mockery, or else be taken as a sign of a person’s poor education. By analyzing a recent speech event in Brazil – a media interview by soccer coach Joel Santana in which his “Portenglish” answers to a foreign journalist became the target of public derision – our article questions whether Standard English is indeed the best model to apply in the classroom.The article begins by examining the limitations of the thesis of imperialism to explain the ubiquity of the English language today; then we go on to apply the theses of Worldliness and Glocalization to our case study.We argue that Santana’s creative (or improper, in his critics’ opinion) use of English is a case of “Glocality”. Finally, we conclude by suggesting that less rigid standards of language learning would avoid stifling students’ learning capacities, and let them flourish in an environment to which they can relate. Key words: Teaching and learning of English, Standard English and World English, superdiverse repertories.

Theoretical discussion on forms of cultural capital in Singapore

This article is a theoretical discussion on five forms of cultural resources that constitute cultural capital for children in the meritocratic yet stratified society of Singapore. These five forms of cultural capital are namely ‘academic’ tastes and leisure preferences, use of Standard English, access to and dispositions toward information communication technology, acquisition of learning skills, and confidence/learning dispositions. They cover two important aspects of cultural capital—namely objectified and embodied components—that may vary in levels with social class and that mediate the influence of social class on children’s academic achievement. Equally importantly, the focus on one societal context—in this case, Singapore—recognizes the contextual specificities of cultural capital in form and consumption pattern among individuals.

Intangible Heritage of Standard English Learners

Standard English Learners (SELs) are ethnic minority native speakers of English whose mastery of the “standard English language” used in the curriculum of schools is limited due to their use of ethnic-specific nonstandard dialect. Research in language development highlights language as a tool that allows the individual access to basic civil rights and opportunities in the area of politics, economics, and education. A correlation exists between proficiency in the use of Standard English and academic achievement, thereby highlighting the importance of validating the intangible language heritage that these students bring to the school environment while they are schooled in the use of Standard English.

Patterns of Verbal -s in the Varieties of English Today

AbstractThe occurrence of the verbal ending -s with non-3rd person singular subjects is a frequent phenomenon in varieties of English worldwide. It has been attested to fulfil a wide range of functions in addition to its Standard English use as a person-number marker. This paper is to characterize the various factors which condition the use of nonstandard verbal -s. It will discuss their areal distribution and give an account of the frequency with which each of the conditioning factors is attested. Based on this characterization, a group of core constraints will be isolated, the specific character of which will be shown to have facilitated their stability, endurance and spread.

Language Policy, Language Teachers' Beliefs, and Classroom Practices

The widespread use of a local variety of English, Singapore Colloquial English, or Singlish, has become somewhat of a controversial issue in Singapore especially in the eyes of the Singapore government. For example, in 2002 the Singapore government launched The ‘Speak Good English Movement’ (SGEM) with the objective of promoting the use of Standard English among Singaporeans. Furthermore, Singapore's newspapers have recently suggested that the responsibility for halting the deterioration (perceived or real) of the standards of English rests with Singapore's English language teachers. The case study presented in this paper offers one lens from which to view a policy-to-practice connection by outlining the impact of language policy on the beliefs and classroom practices of three primary school teachers concerning the use of Singlish in their classrooms. The results confirm those of previous studies that teachers’ reactions to language policy is not a straightforward process and as such it is important to understand the role teachers play in the enactment of language policy.

Honoring Dialect and Culture: Pathways to Student Success on High-Stakes Writing Assessments

Honoring students’ home dialect is a complex task when preparing them to take state writing tests that require the use of Standard English. Working with students who had failed the test and were in danger of not receiving a diploma, Michelle Crotteau created a supportive learning environment in which students could develop linguistic and mechanical fluency. In the Writing Strategies class, students spoke and wrote about their interests, drew on their dialect (Appalachian English), and learned to recognize audience-appropriate situations for using their dialect and Standard English.

Honoring Dialect and Culture: Pathways to Student Success on High-Stakes Writing Assessments

Honoring students' home dialect is a complex task when preparing them to take state writing tests that require the use of Standard English. Working with students who had failed the test and were in danger of not receiving a diploma, Michelle Crotteau created a supportive learning environment in which students could develop linguistic and mechanical fluency. In the Writing Strategies class, students spoke and wrote about their interests, drew on their dialect (Appalachian English), and learned to recognize audience-appropriate situations for using their dialect and Standard English.

ASSESSING ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA

This chapter proposes two alternative models for assessing English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Tests based on the first model resemble existing approaches to assessing English as a foreign language offered by such tests as TOEFL, and IELTS. This model assumes that interlocutors use varieties of English based on Standard English. What distinguishes tests of this model from existing international tests of English is that it explicitly allows test accommodations. Such accommodations modify the test delivery system in order to make it accessible and fair for ELF users without changing the construct. Tests based on the second model assume that ELF may be regarded not as a use of Standard English but as a code in its own right. Similarities to varieties of World Englishes such as Singapore English, Indian English are noted. In tests based on the second model, strategic competence takes precedence over linguistic accuracy. Although both models are somewhat problematic in practice, neither, it is argued, entails any radical reconceptualization of language testing beyond what has already been envisaged and/or enacted in the field. Nevertheless, future tests of ELF may have both symbolic and practical importance, giving greater authority and legitimacy to expanding and outer circle English voices on the one hand and giving flesh to definitions of effective intercultural communication on the other. The chapter concludes by cautioning against moving too quickly to assess ELF before it has been properly described.

The Use of Dialect in African-American Spirituals, Popular Songs, and Folk Songs

The presence of vocal works that use dialect in African-American culture has been a controversial and difficult area of inquiry for those investigating the phenomenon. Dialect songs were first heard in the minstrel shows that toured the United States and Europe before the Civil War (Mahar 1999). They continued to be performed after the war as well, although not as frequently by professional troupes. Textually, many minstrel songs presented derogatory caricatures of African-American and slave culture known from depictions of southern plantations. By the 1870s, African-American dialect was still heard, most often in minstrelsy, although probably in some sacred repertory as well. While spirituals and jubilees sung in churches may have used dialect, existing evidence suggests that touring college groups, such as the Fisk Jubilee Singers and the Hampton Students, avoided the use of dialect when they performed spirituals as part of their programs. The Fisk Singers' book The Story of the Jubilee Singers (Marsh 1880) and their later recordings (after 1909) offer their repertory in standard English. Ditson's (1887) publication Jubilee and Plantation Songs likewise eschews dialect. Undoubtedly, the use of standard English in these publications and in public performances reflected a desire to demonstrate that African Americans were educated and could speak and sing in standard English. Toward the end of the 1880s, a number of African-American vocal quartets began to appear in various venues, including vaudeville, country fairs, and variety shows. One of the most famous was the Standard Quartet, which toured with the South before the War company. The group made a number of cylinders in the early 1890s, of which one, Keep Movin', also sung in standard English, has survived (Brooks 2004, 96-97). However, the popularity of the antebellum spirituals and jubilees influenced a number of black minstrels to write and perform sacred dialect songs in their shows. James Bland's Oh, Dem Golden Slippers (1879) and Sam Lucas's On My Long White Robe (1879) are two examples of this sacred genre that migrated from the church and concert stage to the minstrel show. Lucas's song has no derogatory sense. Rather, the dialect conveys an African-American perspective (similar to that heard in spirituals) on the voyage that follows death. De gospel Trumpet am sounding loud, Put on my long white robe. See all de children a slipping proud, up an' down de road, When dey get near de pearly gate, Put on my long white robe, You can go inside if you ain't too late, And den how happy you'll feel. Chorus Oh! wait 'till I put on my long white robe, My starry crown and my golden shoes, I pass through the gates of de golden city Den I carry de news. During the 1890s, the most controversial dialect lyrics, which harkened back to the early days of minstrelsy, were set to ragtime melodies; this new genre is usually identified as the song. It was sung in a multiplicity of venues--in the minstrel show, in vaudeville, and on Broadway. It is generally stated that Ernest Hogan's All Coons Look Alike to Me was the first coon song (Woll 1989, 2), but in truth, a number of coon songs predate his piece. (1) His song, however, together with the Bully Song, whose authorship was claimed by no fewer than five composers, introduced the new genre to Broadway, where mainstream theatergoers readily accepted and approved their catchy tunes, sung by May Irwin. The coon song's popularity led many African-American lyricists and composers to write vernacular songs that were sung by both black and white performers. While most of these songs had slangy lyrics in which final sounds were dropped (hangin', for example) and contractions were used (ne'er), they did not use dialect (dere and dem). A small group, however, did. Bert Williams and George Walker, for example, wrote several that were heard in their musicals between 1897 and 1902, as did Irving Jones, Will Marion Cook, and Bob Cole. …