English The Dominant Language

Question: How English develops in the world is no business whatever of native speakers in England, the United States, or anywhere else (Widdowson, 1994:385). Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain why? Discuss the implications for English Language Teaching. Answer: Undoubtedly, English has become the dominant language in the world. It is gradually given to various names and symbols, such as Lingua Franca, World English, International Language and Standard English. It is beyond only a language. Experts and scholars put lots of effort to discuss, analyze and argue the importance, transformation and function of it. Kachru (1985) use his Three Circles to elaborate the amount of people who use English. In the Inner Circle only 375 million users are the native speakers who are the norm-providers. Roughly only one out of every four users of English in the world is a native speaker of the language . However, the three out of the four users follow the Standard English which is defined by the native speakers. Widdowson (1994) expressed the idea in a very telling manner when he writes It is a matter of considerable pride and satisfaction for native speakers of English that their language is an international means of communication. But the points is that i t is only international to the extent that it is not their language Jenkins 2011). The role of language in todays increasingly globalized world is complex Windschitl et al. 2012). The realization that the majority of the uses of English occur in contexts where it serves as a lingua franca, far removed from its native speakers linguacultural norms and identities, has been an important leitmotif in this discussion (Seidlhofer 2006). Yet at the same time, while the number of native English speakers by some accounts is decreasing slightly, non-native English speakers are dramatically increasingly in number (Liu 1999 cited by Stroupe 2010), and decreasing in age (Graddol 2006 cited by Stroupe 2010). As many suggest, English continues to gain prominence through economic, diplomatic and media activities (Graddol 2006 cited by Stroupe 2010). In addition, because of the importance of English in the temporary era, many people emphasize higher and higher on English. It has become not only the main means of communication in the world, but also a compulsory subject from element ary schools to universities (Kachru 2011). In this paper, I would like to discuss my former working context after I graduated from the university in Section II. In section 3, there is the elaboration of one of Englishs identities- lingua franca and the discrimination and prejudice towards different accents. World Englishes will be discussed in section IV. The debates and contrast of Native English Speaker Teachers (NESTs) and Non-Native English Speaker Teachers (NNESTs) are detailed presented in section V. Also, I would take my personal experience as the example in this section. The following one is the argument based on Widdowsons The Ownership of English (1994:385) and how non-natives follow Standard English norms. In the last section, VII, are the conclusion and implications of TESOL. After I graduated from university, I have worked in a Foreign Language Center, which is called the English Generation Language Institute in Taipei, Taiwan. The subject I have taught is TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and it is divided into four sections, listening, speaking, reading and writing. The age of students is between eighteen to twenty-five years old. Their English comprehension is intermediate. The average number of students in my class is fifteen. Only in speaking section should I use all-English to teach. Teaching English is a significant task which generates a number of the rewards. The teachers may feel proud as they are teaching the students or learners a different way of life. When you are teaching English, you are contributing towards the international society by miniting a new orator to the English language, a person converse with people worldwide and across the cultures. The learners of the English language maybe the business people, immigrants, artists or students, who share their love of learning the language. To teach the English to students as a second language is that we are sharing the tools to students, which they require to take the new ventures and reach their own dreams (Cohen 2014). When the speaker from a foreign country or non-native English speaker learns English, they can create a deal of potential inspiration and success in life of a person. To create a positive space of English learning, one should have a positive attitude, courage and dedication. Without the attitude factor, one may get frustrated for a long time to learn the language and may be they give up the effort to learn English (Moskovsky et al. 2013). English is a Lingua Franca In this era, English has become more and more essential worldwide. It is a contact language between persons who share neither a common native tongue nor a common (national) culture, and for whom English is the chosen foreign language of communication (Firth 1996: 240). People who are not the native speakers and go to other countries for business trip or vacation always need to use English to have communication with local people or their business partners if they do not know the local language. English has become the official language in the world (Bolton 2004). Take my country, Taiwan, for instance, English is a compulsory and essential subject from elementary school to university. When a learners English score is not high enough, it is hard to enter better or ideal university. Moreover, before students graduate from the university, they must pass the English test (GEPT, TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL). It is because English is a Lingua Franca, the English learning system in Taiwan need to esta blish for letting children have contacted this language since they are little. Another example is that most companies in Taiwan have business with countries all over the world, such as Japan, Russia, Thailand and Germany. There are many languages among these countries, but English is the chosen one. People use English no matter in doing business, formal conferences or sport events worldwide. English is being shaped at least as much by its non-native speakers as by its native speakers (Ljosland 2011). It is been spoken by a lot people, so different accents has appeared, such as Japanese, Thai, Spanish and Russian accent (Cogo and Pitzl 2013). According to Jenkins interview participants (Jenkins, 2009), there are five extracts are typical of the ambivalent and conflict comments they made (Jenkins 2009). They are Taiwanese, Japanese, Italian China and Polish English speakers. Based on Kachrus (1985) three circle, they belong to the Expanding Circle, and they are norm-dependent (Kachru 1985). Four of them want to be like a native-speaker and been taught like that. Only the China English speaker wants to keep his identity. He does not think that having the American or British accent is necessary. Generally, there is a stereotype towards different English accents. The questionnaire respondents made extremely pejorative comments about the accents they perceived as furthest from native English accents, particularly China English, Japanese English and Russian English accents. For example, the Japanese English accent was described as weird and menacing, the China English as quarrel-like and appalling, and the Russian English as he avy, sharp, and aggressive(Jenkins 2009). I am not so shocked that the questionnaire respondents used these negative words to describe different accents. It is because when I was in the university, my professor who has the standard British accent told us if English learners has weird accents, others would judge them badly, consider they are bad in English and even have discrimination towards them. In formal or informal ceremonies, if the speaker use the strange English accent to deliver the speech, listeners would easily put the stereotype on him. For some people, they cannot fully understand the Japanese English accent. These questionnaire respondents reflect the normal perspectives that common people have (House 2013). Nowadays the economy has become globalized and most of the persons have to interact with people across culture. In those economies significance of learning the second language is self-evident. You can communicate with the lands you may never considered to do business by learning a second language. It will help one to address the customers in that particular language which they will better appreciate, and also in which those persons are more comfortable in corresponding. As for diversity of cultures of the world and in the global community, there is importance of learning the second language is highlighted (Bean 2011). In todays world, an individual can access the vast information from the variety of customs of the world. The world of English speaking people has access to all the information, or else lots of information will be beyond their reach. This is the main reason English became popular as second language. English is now widely spoken as a second language suppressing other languages. Even people nowadays speak English as their first language. For this, there is a great demand of learning English classes as English is used as the gateway of knowledge, culture and commerce of the world (Chang and Liu 2013). The initiative of learning English with the speakers from a foreign country or the non-native English speaker can be constructed a great compact of both potential and havoc inspiration. By this initiative, one can get the success in his or her life. To be very specific, for creating a personal positive space in learning English as the second language, one must have many positive attitude, dedication and courage. The attitude factors aside, effort and work are also concerned in learning English. At least without any sense of the happening what will happen at the end of learning English, the language learner could be possibly grown frustrated and might quit the work and effort to learn the English. In addition to it, the prospective student and learner of English may perhaps well be acknowledged by the discordance among the friends and family. The family and friends encouraged the students to study in the home country of the student in his or native language and go along with the custom. However, in case one person determined to learn English and has the personality that has an attitude of English learning, then that person must take the risk and task to learn English in a very serious mode and ignore those persons who wants the students to take another way. The student or learner of English may explain the significance of learning English for the success in the economy globally with their loved ones. They also should explain the significance of the school in English-speaking country. The above are all the suitable motives of learning English. Attitude of English speaking includes the dedication, a desire, the courage and the intelligence to alter the life circumstance of one. World Englishes (WEs) WE belongs to everybody who speaks it, but it is nobodys mother tongue (Jenkins 2011). Based on Kachrus three circles (Kachru 1985), the Expanding Circle which is norm- dependent includes over a billion people who are English users. They follow the norms which native speakers have already established. The only possible area of controversy that I can see here, then, is that some WE scholars may not consider Expanding Circle Englishes as legitimate varieties on a par with Outer and Inner Circle varieties (Jenkins 2009). Yano, for example, argue: In Japan, English is not used by the majority, nor is it used often enough for it to be established as Japanese English (Jenkins 2008). This mean Japanese has their own English system. That is, this kind of English is called interlanguage or learner-English (Jenkins 2009). Every country or area has its own English; therefore, it reflects Rajagopalans (2004) opinion that WE belongs to everybody who speaks it. Undoubtedly, English is a Lingua Fra nca, International Language or World English (Brutt-Griffler 2002). However, it is not only the task of native speakers to study English for their purposes. Nonnative speakers of other varieties should also shoulder the responsibilities to establish a world standard if they use English as an international language (Shi 2011). People, who speak English or use English as the main communicative way are more than the native speakers are (Cho and Brutt-Griffler 2015). In my opinion, English is not only a Lingua Franca, World English or need to be native-like standard, it needs to be regional standard and fits the needs of students. Bolton (2004) opined that three interpretations of the expression World Englishes are possible. First, the umbrella label serves like the label cover all the diversities of the English worldwide. There are different approaches that explains and evaluates the English worldwide. Secondly, English used in a very constricted sense, which is referring new Englishes in Asia, the Caribbean and Africa (Kachrus outer circle). And thirdly, the English thet is used to symbolize the approach of pluricentric to learn the English connected with Kachru and his teammates. This approach sometimes referred to as the Kachruvian approach, even though substantial overlapping is present between the second analysis of the expression and this approach. The first exercise is occasionally represented by the other terms which includes the global English(es), World English (i.e., in the singular) and international English(es). The second approach is commonly signified by the terms including institutionalised, i ndigenised, nativised, and new English or Englishes as a foreign or second language. Instead of the variety of explanations of the term World Englishes and its alternates, however, there is a strong relations between them, and the pasture now so well established, that there appears to be a little uncertainty over the proposed reference. NESTs vs NNESTs When it comes to standard English, native speakers will pop out to our mind. No matter in which level of the educational system in Taiwan or other countries, NESTs is the first choice that learners hope to learn from. Medgyes (1992) used three possible dimensions to discuss the compare and contrast between NESTs and NNESTs. The first dimension is NESTs versus NNESTs. Learners always consider NESTs are superior to NNEST and can acquire more English knowledge and information from them (Ma, 2012). If language competence were the only variable of teaching skill, a NEST would by definition be superior to his or her non-native colleague (Medgyes 1992). However, the only thing that NESTs can say they are superior to NNEST is their language proficiency. On the other hand, NNESTs can be English learners model since they are also the learners of English, they understand learners need and the problems that learners will encounter (Lee and Cho 2015). In contrast, though NESTs can act as perfect language models they cannot be learner models since they are not learners of English in the sense that non-NESTs are (Gurkan and Yuksel 2012). The advantage of NNESTs are they have the same mother tongue as their learners. Non- native teachers have on the grounds that they know the target language as a foreign language, shar e with their students the experience of what it is like to try and make it their own, often through the same first language/ culture filter and can represent relevant role models for learners. (cf. e.g. Braine 1999: Brutt Griffler Samimy 1999; Kramsch 1998; Medgyes 1994; Rampton 1990; Seidlhofer 1999). Even though I am not a native-speaking teacher, I know better the weaknesses of my students than native- speaking teachers and sometimes if I find out they cannot understand when I explain more difficult grammar or concept in English, Iwill explain again in Chinese. I agree with Medgyes, (1992) said the statement that The more proficient in English, the more efficient in the classroom is false. Both NNESTs and NEST have the equal chance of achieving professional success (Medgyes 2012). The second dimension is NNESTs versus NNESTs. A non-native's superiority over a fellow non-native can only be ascribed to his or her superior English-language competence (Medgyes 1992). Generally speaking, in most of the high schools in Taiwan, the English teachers are all non-natives. How to compare and say which teacher teaches better is equal to say which one has the better proficiency in English. According to Medgyes (1992) opinion, all other variables being equal, so 'The more proficient in English, the more efficient in the classroom' is a valid statement. Because I used to work in the Foreign Language Center, some courses need to be conducted in both Chinese and English. At this time, learners will choose which NNEST has better English proficiency (Gordon 2012). The third dimension is NESTs versus NESTs. The English proficiency is not related to this dimension because there can be no differences between native speakers in terms of their LI competence (Medgyes 1992). The only aspect learners can compare is their proficiency in the learners mother tongue. So the statement Medgye (1992) kept using needs to be modified into 'The more proficient in the learners' mother tongue, the more efficient in the classroom'. When I was the student in university, all my professors who are native speakers can speak Chinese. Some of them speak it very well, but they seldom use Chinese to explain hard concepts for that we are all students in English Department. If they work as private tutors or in the Foreign Language Center, they are superior to many other NESTs. Who Owns English? Learners in different countries have been taught to speak like native speakers. Having standard American or British accent is the ideal goal of English learning. If people in formal occasions speak English with strong accent, they probably would be considered as bad in English. Also, we evaluate peoples position and status by their English accent. In my country, Taiwan, parents emphasize higher and higher in English, so they sent their children to bilingual kindergarten. These kindergartens clearly indicate that there are foreign teachers who have standard American or British accent. Lots of children have started to learn English since they are only 5 years old. In Taiwan, a student can realize why they must learn this language which is a WE. The standard English means that people who are non-native speakers need to speak like native speakers. No one can deny that language teaching in general, and ELT in particular, historically evolved around the notion of the native speaker . We En glish teachers do our best to use the standard norms to teach English learners. However, based on Kachrus three circles , over a billion users belong to Expanding Circle. The whole idea of native speaker has been rendered somewhat blurred . It is not important to speak like a native speaker. English is gradually transferred into fitting the local needs. When two non-native speakers are talking to each other, the most important thing is that they need to understand each other. On the other hand, when one non-native speaker is talking to a native speaker, maybe the evaluation appears. The non-native speaker would be judged by his accent or the words he uses, whether they fit into the standard norms. Sometimes, the judgment would be so critical, strict. Nevertheless, I think this condition would happen less and less because of the globalization. Although Chinese speakers are a lot in the world, Chinese is not chosen as a foreign language to communicate. When foreigners use Chinese to a sk me question in Taiwan, I am surprised and forget all about the accent he/ she has. The priority is the understanding of each other and the expression is clear enough. It is hard not to have accent when people speak a foreign language. Not only English but also other language does have the same condition that learners have to follow the standard norm when learning it. In Widdowsons perspective, language provides the means for communication, expresses a sense of community and represent the stability of its culture. Because of the higher emphasis on English, some native speakers might consider themselves as the center. Everyone needs to mimic their accent and follow their norms. When the native speakers claim that the purpose of standard English is for clear communication, they should also see that clear communication is an international one . They should realize that due to globalization, WEs is a language spoken across the world . The concept of standard should be changed. Widdowson holds a positive attitude towards the power of and possibilities for non-native speakers of English to own the language in a reasonable way . Different places establish a system and the certain norm of English of their own. All cultures must be immersed into an international basin before true communication can be realized . Any of the culture or languages cannot be sai d whether it is good or bad. However, language is not neutral since it carries its customs and culture. English learners can use English to convey their culture to the world. In Widdowsons perspective, no one really owns English and can say it is his mother tongue. How the English expands on the world is not a business whatsoever of the native orators in the United States, England, or anywhere else. The native speakers have no cry in the matter of expansion of English, as well as they have no right to interfere in the matter or pass any comment or judgment. The native speakers are irrelevant. No nation can have or asked for the custody over the language as English is an international language. To grant any of the custody of the language to any particular country is necessarily detains the development, by which one undermine its international status. The native speakers of Englishmust be proud and they should be satisfied about the fact that the language uses as an international way of communication. However, the main point is that as the language is not from their native place and not their mother tongue, to that extent only the language is international. English language is not the possession of one country which they can lease out to others, while they retains the freehold. Implications for English Language Teaching and Conclusion In this paper, my main point is that I agree with Widdowsons statement that How English develops in the world is no business whatever of native speakers in England, the United States, or anywhere else. This statement fit into contemporary trend. Kachrus (1985) three circles clearly points out most of the English users are not native speakers. They set up their own English system. However, some learners or non-natives are still caught in the myth of Standard English. We cannot deny that English is the dominant language in the world and is a lingua franca. Nevertheless, the Inner Circle has the standard on while the Expanding Circle has its own norms of English. In Taiwans English educational system, students understand why they should learn a language which is irrelevant to them. However, the teachers are often confused on whether they should follow the standard English norms to teach the students only language or introduce the culture or even manipulate it into the mind of students. From Widdowsons arguments about Standard English, we English teachers in Taiwan should infer what is happening to English language worldwide. We need to think about what types of English we should introduce to our students not only focus on following the standard norms. I do not mean the accent is not important and having strange accent does not matter even though learners are proficient in English. In common points of view, accent plays a decisive role. We do not want learners are discriminated by their accent. It is significant to discuss that the study of second language acquisition does not imply that there are no inferences, which can be drawn from second language acquisition to the related regulation of language teaching. For example, acquisition of second language resulted to speaking and not to its cause. The speech given by one cannot be trained directly, but appears on its own as the result of constructiing competence by comprehensible input. If the input is unstated, the necessary grammar is provided by the teachers. The several models agree that it as a feature with important implications for the individual (Lepp-Kaethler and Drnyei 2013). Authors differ each other in terms of its correlates and/or antecedents, as well as in how it might be reviewed. With respect to the language learning, the individual would have several approaches that could be applied to the language learning, ideas about its meaningfulness, value, and implications, expectations of one person about what one ca n or cannot be achieved, and the significance of several personality distinctiveness in the learning process (Ary et al. 2010). English is trained as the second or foreign language throughout the Taiwanese education system, yet Taiwan has slipped its position in the world rankings. The gestures of teaching English in the classroom are the combination of many factors. Previously, the researches focus on specialised areas which helped gaining an insight into a part of the psychology of the language learners (Rubin 2014). The areas discussed above are the motivation, learning a second or foreign language, anxiety in the foreign language classroom and language learning strategies. Individually, the researchers were guided by these factors over the years. But these instruments and factors have been proven measures. It is time to combine these factors together and seek to reveal more of the holistic picture of foreign language acquisition (Mitchell et al. 2013). The questions about the teacher education and teaching arises when one discussed about the World Englishes. While in the Expanding Circle, a person could ask the kind of English or which types of English must be taught. In case a teacher is teaching Taiwanese students about using English in a learning institution in the USA, then they should teach the American English. If the students have the goal to communicate across the cultures, then the teachers must teach English in that way, so that the students would be able to tolerate/understand more accent and varieties through the revelation. Awareness must be formed and the strategies of cross-cultural communication must be studied. It is of extreme significance that the teachers should develop a superior tolerance of dissimilarities and alter their outlooks in accordance with the settings. In English teachers training section, the focus should not put on being like native speakers but also their own proficiency in English. The NNESTs should enhance their knowledge towards English world and accept different English cultures. The NESTs need to improve their knowledge about their learners. Owning Standard English is not enough for English learners. I contend that English language teachers should convey that do not hold theperspective that standard English is always the best to learners. Also, the curriculum cannot be fixed. It needs to fit the change of English trend since language change happens naturally, and it is inevitable and unpredictable. Within the field of TESOL, I dont think NNESTs or NESTs is better than the each other. Both group of teachers serve equally useful purposes in their own terms . 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