General English Research Articles

Elites, centers and “forces collectives”

Abstract The concept of standard language has become highly controversial after the rise of the postmodernist paradigm. This article traces the roots of the concept in the studies of a group of European linguists who inquired into the spread of “common languages” and related it to the processes of modernization and the role of social elites and urban centers during the 1920s. It then reviews the central role it played in the studies on nationalism and nation-building after 1945 and discusses how the focus on structural, macro-historical processes as determinants of the emergence of standard languages came to be abandoned in classical and postmodernist approaches to language standardization. Finally, it suggests that Antonio Gramsci’s insights on the “language question” in Italy should be read on the background of the early research on common languages and suggests that a reconsideration of macro-historical approaches could contribute to the understanding of the spread of Global English.

The Futures of English: Introduction from the UK

Abstract Will students raised on social media still read English literature? What is the role of English/American literature in the PRC, India, Australasia, the USA? What is the role of English language in relation to other global and local languages? What is the role of decolonising efforts? How do our respective state apparatuses affect language and literature teaching? Part I ‘International Perspectives on English Language and Literature’ summarises the global spread of English since the eighteenth century and outlines the concerns of the special issue: the global futures of English language and literature in information society in Africa, Australia, India, the PRC, Europe and the UK, and the USA; the role of decolonising efforts; and the role of our respective state apparatuses in higher education policy. Part II, ‘English Studies in Britain Today’, discusses the findings of the recent (June 2023) British Academy report English Studies Provision in UK Higher Education, including the decline in literary studies among students and the rise of Creative Writing in part in response to political‐economic rhetoric. Part III, ‘Global and World Englishes’, returns to global and transnational practices beyond Britain and Europe to argue for more inclusive, decolonising practices around world literatures. We might take the lived histories of global and world Englishes to transcend both romantic revolutionary and far‐right exclusionary nationalisms in literary and language studies in favour of more cosmopolitan, multilingual, and convivial approaches.

Across 40 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Chinese English Scholarship (1980–2020)

This study documents the dynamic evolution of Chinese English Scholarship spanning 40 years from its birth to the present. In an attempt to investigate the current status (synchronically) and developmental trajectory (diachronically) of Chinese English scholarship in 1980 to 2020, this study surveyed the bibliographical, theoretical, methodological, and thematic state of Chinese English literature manifested in an analytical framework of six parameters (geographic distribution, publication outlets, citations, research approaches, research methods and research strands) by adopting a thorough bibliometric analysis subsequent to careful and meticulous coding in terms of the six parameters of Chinese English scholarship. The results showed that Chinese English scholarship has displayed distinctive distribution patterns and chronological trends in the bibliographical, theoretical, methodological, and thematic dimensions of literature, based on which, the study sketched a few directions for advancement of future research agendas such as a more globalized researcher profile, a wider range of hosting disciplines, greater heterogeneity of theoretical approaches, stronger methodological rigor and a much balanced scenario of research strands. The study is useful in portraying an overarching disciplinary landscape for Chinese English research and providing the basic reference statistics for possible comparisons to be conducted across regionalized varieties and for more general conclusions to be made about the state of scholarship on world Englishes.

Visual Analysis of Online English Learning Engagement

Learning engagement refers to learners’ active participation in classroom learning activities or involvement in learning (Guo Jidong, 2018), which has been a research hotspot in the field of education. With the development and application of the new classroom model, the research on online English learning engagement has attracted more and more attention in recent years. By using bibliometric analysis software CiteSpace and UCINET, this study visualized 553 papers related to online English learning engagement included in the core collection of Web of Science from 2017 to 2021 and drew keyword co-occurrence maps and thematic/keyword clustering maps of highly cited literature. To summarize the status quo of relevant international research. The results show that international online English learning engagement research focuses on the comparative analysis of the influence of online teaching mode and traditional teaching on learning engagement, the choice of teacher’s strategy and assessment, and the changes in learners’ emotional and cognitive levels in online learning. The study suggests that educators should adjust their teaching strategies in time, and pay attention to the positive changes in learners’ emotions and the improvement of their cognitive ability, to improve learners’ online English learning engagement and promote English learning.

Lexical Bundles in Reading Comprehension Passages of Chinese National Matriculation Entrance Test: A Corpus-Based Contrastive Analysis

The construct of reading is presented in language assessment. Previous studies have focused on reading issues encountered by English learners, most of which are manifested by certain linguistic features: lexical bundles (LBs). Addressing this, the study aims to analyze LBs in reading comprehension passages in the Chinese National Matriculation Entrance Test (NMET) and contrast them with those in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), by focusing on the form, function, and frequency of three-word formulaic units. Data collected from self-built corpora based on the two tests were analyzed using Biber et al.’s structural and functional taxonomies. Results suggested that NMET includes a substantially lower frequency of bundles and a notably limited range of bundle patterns than IELTS. Results also indicated that the structural forms of LBs in NMET are clausal and that the dominant function is referential. This study has pedagogical implications for test designers and English reading educators.

Think and You Know as Discourse Markers among Korean Speakers of English

The present study examines I think and you know as discourse markers among Korean English speakers, using data from sociolinguistic interviews. Previous research on I think and you know has suggested that they are highly frequent among native speakers but much less used by non-native speakers and that particularly you know among nonnative speakers is rather used for discourse-organizational purposes not for intersubjectivity. Since English is learned and used as an important foreign language in Korea, Korean society is a remarkable context for research on both world Englishes and English as a lingua franca. Especially in the context of English as a lingua franca. In ELF interaction, I think and you know as discourse markers have been demonstrated to be used for marking speaker-centered and subjectivity, though they are used differently by native English speakers. The data analysis reveals that the use of I think and you know among Korean speakers of English is similar to that in other ELF communication. Both are used as discourse-pragmatic markers to convey speakercentered attitude as fumbling device and express subjectivity in evaluating part of the discourse. This paper contributes to the growing body of discourse markers analyzed through a systematic and replicable methodology.

Optimizing Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skill through Indonesian English Course Platform

As the compulsory subject at the senior high school, English is used for transferring and develop their knowledge, skill, and attitudes in the areas of science, technology, and art. English is crucial for the student in order to help them to understand the oral and written text in detail. Eventually, teachers have to prepare a good strategy to complete the student need of English in the class. Then, the school has HOTS as the strategy for the students. However, students are required to seek additional learning outside of school in order to enhance their learning in school. For this reason, Indonesian English course platform (Ruangguru) becomes the medium to optimize student’ HOTS. This quantitative research discussed 84 students of SMAN 1 Rejang Lebong. In obtaining the data, the eighty-four students of XII grade in academic year 2020/2021 were given a set of questionnaires to get the data whether Ruangguru can optimize students’ HOTS in learning English. The researcher collected the data, then determined the frequency and percentage of the students' responses. According to this study's findings, Indonesian English course platform (Ruangguru) can be a medium to optimize students’ HOTS beside learning English in the classroom. Based on three indicators that is provided by researcher, those are: Analyzing (71.83%), Evaluating (72.26%), and Creating (72.85%). Based on the result, Indonesian English course platform (Ruangguru) helps students to optimize students’ Higher Order Thinking in learning English

The impact of automated writing evaluation on second language writing skills of Chinese EFL learners: a randomized controlled trial.

In the context of the burgeoning field of second language (L2) education, where proficient writing plays an integral role in effective language acquisition and communication, the ever-increasing technology development has influenced the trajectory of L2 writing development. To address the need for enhanced writing skills among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, this study investigates the efficacy of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) training. A randomized controlled trial employing repeated measures was conducted, involving a participant pool of 190 Chinese EFL students. The study comprehensively assessed the effects of AWE training, utilizing the Grammarly platform-an AI-driven program-on various dimensions of writing skills, encompassing task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexicon, and grammatical accuracy. Control variables included writing self-efficacy and global English proficiency. Writing skills were evaluated through the administration of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) writing sample test. The results unequivocally demonstrate that the experimental group consistently exhibited superior performance across all facets of writing skills compared to the control group. Furthermore, the predictive influence of pre-test scores was pronounced in task achievement, coherence and cohesion, and lexicon, highlighting the pivotal role of learners' initial proficiency levels in shaping subsequent writing outcomes. Notably, the emergence of writing self-efficacy as a significant predictor of task achievement and coherence and cohesion underscores the role of learners' beliefs and confidence in shaping their writing abilities. These findings conclusively suggest that Artificial Intelligence-based instructional programs, specifically AWE, hold the potential to effectively enhance second language writing skills, especially among learners with lower proficiency levels. This study carries crucial implications for EFL educators and researchers, advocating for the seamless integration of AWE into pedagogical strategies to foster a marked improvement in writing competence.

Bridging conceptual gaps in Global Englishes Language Teaching: ethnographic insights from Thai higher education

ABSTRACT Drawing on ethnographically informed multiple case-study data of seven in-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in two universities in Thailand, this article reports on findings with respect to the teachers’ thoughts on the relevance of incorporating the Global Englishes (GE) perspectives in their local language classrooms. Also considered is the question of what attributes the teachers perceive as constituting an ‘ideal’ globally informed English language teacher and whether these perceptions align with the image of language teachers advocated by GE scholarship. The findings demonstrate that GE as understood by the teachers deviates from how it is theorized within the GE scholarship. Incompatibility between their identity goals as an EFL teacher and the perceived image of GE ‘role model’ teachers was also found to have implications for the teachers’ enthusiasm or resistance to change. The article highlights a conceptual mismatch between the teachers’ emic understandings and the researchers’ etic views as the potential barrier to implementing GE innovation in the teachers’ practices, arguing for the potential of positioning teacher identity at the heart of globally informed English language teacher education curricula to foster a shared agenda and the roles teachers play in it.

English Teaching as A Second Language under the "Second Language Acquisition Theory"

Due to the general low English performance, high school English teaching has become the key and difficult project of education and teaching in northwest China. Appropriate teaching methods will improve the teaching effect, and the guidance of "two language acquisition theory" is the breakthrough. proposed by Krasin in the 1980s, "two language acquisition theory" points out the difference between acquisition and learning, and believes that the learning effect after childhood is far less than that of acquisition, and unconscious learning activities are more conducive to stimulating students' interest in independent learning and directly promoting the acquisition of language knowledge. If teachers can effectively guide classroom activities through "unconscious immersion" and help students complete language acquisition and practice, then it will well mobilize students' learning enthusiasm and achieve the improvement of their grades.

Higher education students’ attitudes towards English as a lingua franca in virtual exchange settings

Abstract Mentored online intercultural and international collaboration projects using English as a lingua franca (ELF) in tertiary curricula are a valuable pedagogical approach to develop intercultural communicative competence. However, students’ perceptions of ELF in virtual exchange (VE) projects remain largely unexplored. This mixed-methods study investigates students’ attitudes towards ELF interactions in the context of online collaborations involving four countries in the Global North and South. The students participated in a six-week VE and collaboratively completed tasks set by their teachers. Results of the qualitative and quantitative data show that the students’ attitudes towards ELF interactions varied in different contexts and that the experience encouraged reflections, for instance, on students’ linguistic effectiveness in intercultural situations. The findings show a (re)evaluation of native and non-native English and attitudinal shift for some students. The results indicate that online intercultural exchanges can be a catalyst for students to reflect on international English usage and global ownership. The article provides implications for setting up ELF-VE projects regarding its potential to (trans)form ELF identities and gives advice for ELF practitioners.

CREATING A COMBINATORY GLOSSARY OF GEOGRAPHY ESP VERBS: THEORY AND PRACTICE

The paper presents the structure, content and organization of the glossary of English verbs and their word combinations functioning in the geographic register of scientific speech. The glossary is compiled at the Department of Foreign Languages for the Faculty of Geography. It is a kind of “active” lexicographic source which helps students and scientists to master ESP of geographic disciplines. Verbs are given as part of the most common lexical and grammatical collocations such as river flows, sea level rises, rain falls accompanied by brief contexts illustrating their real usage in scientific articles, textbooks and terminological dictionaries on geography. Verbs of different kinds: terminological verbs, verbs of general English, verbs of general scientific vocabulary are usually used in recurrent collocations and free word combinations. Their linguistic functioning is confined to a set of rather simple and logically based patterns. These verbal word combinations serve as the “building material” of scientific speech in the field of Earth sciences. Thus, our glossary contains the most essential information about the use of basic geographical verbs. It can also serve as the material for testing the knowledge of geographic ESP.

Topic and Accent Coverage in a Commercialized L2 Listening Test: Implications for Test-takers’ Identity

Abstract I analyzed a corpus of the international English language testing system (IELTS) comprising 256 listening sections (1996–2021). The primary objective of the study was to gain insights into the assumptions made by test designers regarding the real-life contexts that test-takers will encounter. Overall, 15 superordinate topic areas and 300 subtopics were identified in the corpus. There was relatively more diversity in topic coverage before 2000. However, the test did not incorporate texts that would address sociocultural matters related to local or international contexts. Additionally, English-as-L2 accents were virtually unrepresented with only three samples from 514 speakers, potentially suggesting a racialized perspective on the listening construct. I argue that it is possible that this way of testing promotes and normalizes test designers’ ideologies, while overlooking the importance of the diversity of domains that test-takers will encounter in daily life. I discuss the potential construction of test-takers’ identity through exposure to these topics and suggest that test designers may consider reevaluating topic and accent coverage in the test to improve fairness and equity in the test. Finally, I provide ideas on how the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance quality of language assessments.

Issues with the Speaking Section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): An Assessment Critique

Issues with the Speaking Section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): An Assessment Critique

Indonesian English learners’ attitudes towards cheating, absenteeism, and gender: Interactions with L2 achievement

The present study was conducted to find out Indonesian English as a Second/Foreign Language (L2) learners' attitudes towards cheating (AtC) in online English classes, as well as the possible influence of the combination of three variables, which are their AtC, absenteeism, and gender, on their L2 achievement as measured with their final grades. The study employed a survey method and was conducted by distributing an online questionnaire. In total, 164 Indonesian learners from various non-English departments at a university in Java participated in the study. Through descriptive statistics, it was found that generally learners reported their negative AtC in English class, suggesting disapproval towards cheating. Through multiple regression analysis, the study further found that the combination of learners’ AtC, absenteeism, and gender significantly influenced their L2 achievement, and the overall model could predict 34.5% of the total variance in L2 achievement. However, based on the beta coefficient of the three variables, only learners’ absenteeism and gender significantly affected their L2 achievement. As learners had higher absenteeism, they obtained lower L2 achievement. From a t-test analysis, female learners were found to have significantly better L2 achievement than their male counterparts. While the findings on the influence of absenteeism on L2 achievement generally conformed to literature in the field, the findings on the influence of AtC and gender on L2 achievement may suggest that further explorations may be necessary.

Speech intelligibility of the diastratic varieties of Philippine English

The rise of English globalization has prompted speech production variations that reveal the cultural and social backgrounds of the different speakers. However, intelligibility issues of the different varieties have also become a concern. Thus, the present study attempted to assess the intelligibility of Philippine English (PE) diastratic varieties’ speech recordings produced by local Cebuano speakers. Further, it aimed to specifically evaluate the speakers’ production differences, rate the intelligibility of the language varieties, and determine the effect of language variety on the listener-evaluators in terms of intelligibility and distraction ratings. Using an exploratory sequential mixed method design, the speech participants in this study were carefully chosen through multistage sampling first by social class and then by phonological variations. The three final sample speakers out of the initial eighteen were finally categorized as acrolect, mesolect, and basilect. The evaluating groups included English language users from the USA, the Philippines, Korea, and Thailand, and each group represented a region in Kachru’s concentric circle of the World Englishes model. The results identified acrolect as the most intelligible variety followed by mesolect. Basilect, on the other hand, was considered very distracting to the evaluator groups, resulting in a significantly low intelligibility score. Thai evaluators gave the lowest intelligibility ratings, which may be attributed to two factors, L1 interference and unfamiliarity of L2 variation. Finally, future directions and implications in the classroom and industry are stated to create a sense of cultural awareness and to promote a deeper intercultural understanding that comes with international intelligibility.

The Spread and Reception of “Penguin Classics” Chinese Literary Translation in the English World

This article will set the penguin classics in Chinese literature translation in the English world the transmission range of readership and accept the situation, from the spread of translation materials, translation mode, sponsors and publishing model, the target language country’s ideology, etc., to interpret cultural classic in the world of circulation process, description influence the spread of Chinese literature external factors, in order to study the real power of global circulation of Chinese literature, translation and publishing and communication model in order to promote Chinese literature more effectively into the English world, expand overseas readers group put forward the theoretical thinking and practical guidance.

Living for Translation: An Interview with Professor Zhang Zhizhong

In his rich career as a translator, Professor Zhang Zhizhong has formed a unique aesthetics on translation based on his own experience: spirit over form, prose enjambment to rewrite Chinese poetry into sterling English poetry. In Professor Zhang’s opinion, the English translation of Chinese poetry, broadly speaking, is divided into two schools: metrical school and liberal school, and there are poems translated in metrical style and liberal style, mixed with both good and bad ones. Being poetic, or poetry itself, is the most important point. In the interview, Professor Zhang expressed his hope to be friends with the students majoring in translation and make joint efforts in the globalization of Chinese culture and literature. It is his belief that the English translation of Chinese poems shall be poems themselves, and excellent poems in the English world, which, ideally, are published by the prestigious publishing houses in Western countries, hopefully, to exert influences on the readers. This is the ultimate goal of the globalization of Chinese culture and literature.

Methods and Materials for Non-Medical Students to Enhance Medical Literature Reading

Medical English (ME) is of paramount importance both in theory and practice, and the need for professionals with high proficiency in ME has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EMP (English for Medical Purposes) teaching methods and materials for medical students have been widely discussed, while the learning process of non-medical students is ignored. Non-medical students have various difficulties in reading medical English literature because of their different proficiency of general English and absence of medical knowledge. Considering ME’s utilitarian nature and unique lexicon and syntax, this paper discusses four main approaches to help non-medical students to enhance medical literature reading, including Johns and Davies’ TAVI approach, Divasson’s reading strategies for different types of medical prose, Pavel’s focus on grammar and lexicon, and Hamid Rushwan’s aiding tool of machine translation. Non-medical students are recommended to focus more on the practical information involved in literature than the lexical and syntactic analysis, though it is still meaningful to analyze words and sentences to get used to the common usages of lexicon and syntax. Machine translation also aids reading comprehension for non-medical students. Textbooks, journals, and multimedia vehicles are recommended for non-medical students to acquire medical English and improve their reading proficiency.

Integrating global Englishes activities in a regular English classroom

Integrating global Englishes activities in a regular English classroom