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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 June 2005

P. J. Hassall and S. Ganesh

This paper provides a further investigation into the application of Correspondence Analysis (CA) as outlined by Greenacre (1984, 1993), which is one technique for “quantifying…

Abstract

This paper provides a further investigation into the application of Correspondence Analysis (CA) as outlined by Greenacre (1984, 1993), which is one technique for “quantifying qualitative data” in research on learning and teaching. It also builds on the utilisation of CA in the development of the emerging discipline of English as an International Language provided by Hassall and Ganesh (1996, 1999). This is accomplished by considering its application to the analysis of attitudinal data that positions the developing pedagogy of Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL) (see Hassall, 1996a & ff.) within the more established discipline of World Englishes (cf. Kachru, 1985, 1990). The multidimensional statistical technique Correspondence Analysis is used to provide an assessment of the interdependence of the rows and columns of a data matrix (primarily, a two-way contingency table). In this case, attitudinal data, produced at a number of international workshops which focused on the development of a justifiable pedagogy for Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL), are examined to provide a more complete picture of how these venues differed from each other with respect to the collective responses of the respondents. CA facilitates dimensionality reduction and provides graphical displays in low-dimensional spaces. In other words, it converts the rows and columns of a data matrix or contingency table into a series of points on a graph. The current study presents analyses of two different interpretations of this data.

Details

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2077-5504

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2001

Miriam Conteh‐Morgan

The cultures and languages of Africa and Asia have had an immense impact on the use of English language there. Awareness of this impact led to a recognition of new, indigenized…

1881

Abstract

The cultures and languages of Africa and Asia have had an immense impact on the use of English language there. Awareness of this impact led to a recognition of new, indigenized varieties known collectively as worldEnglishes”. They display a number of linguistic and pragmatic patterns different from native varieties, and these have been the subject of much scholarly activity over the last 30 years. This selected bibliography attempts to introduce the literature to librarians, other than English, linguistics, or education selectors. Interdisciplinary in nature, the study of worldEnglishes” has implications for research in the history, culture, sociology, and politics of these regions. Selectors in these subjects and general reference librarians should therefore know more about worldEnglishes” to provide more useful assistance to patrons.

Details

Collection Building, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0160-4953

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2016

Kang-Young Lee and Randy Warren Green

The world Englishes (WE) paradigm gravitating around the recent models of English has been theoretically discussed in the applied linguistics profession: that is, English today…

2232

Abstract

Purpose

The world Englishes (WE) paradigm gravitating around the recent models of English has been theoretically discussed in the applied linguistics profession: that is, English today has gone beyond the general description of post-colonial and institutionalized varieties and is being defined as the linguistic diversity realized by all global users (Ates et al., 2015). This advocates the creation of “multidialectical English speakers/listeners” among WE with intercultural insight and knowledge (Lee, 2012) by supporting linguistic and cultural diversity with cultural tolerance. While theoretical discussions on WE abound, this paper aims to focus more on local learners/users of WE: it investigates Korean university students’ perceptions of WE, their attitudes toward WE and finally factors that affect their perceptions and attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

Sixty Korean students in a university participated in the survey. Data include questionnaires and interviews.

Findings

Results indicate that the students still have a preference and are able to more easily recognize the inner circle (IC) Englishes but have a keen interest in being exposed to WE for less stressful, more interactive, communicative and comprehensible uses. Pedagogical implications and suggestions are also discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The data enable researchers to gain more insight into several of the social, political and cultural aspects or dimensions that are at play in the WE debate. As previous studies have indicated, an individual’s attitude toward WE is not just a simple matter of choosing which form of English to learn; it is one that has important ramifications in shaping a person’s worldview and cultural perspectives. Within the context of the WE paradigm, this study reveals the influence still held by IC countries yet provides strong evidence that an awareness of the reality of and interest in WE presently exists in Korea.

Practical/implications

This finding has important implications for English instructors, institutions and educational policy makers in the expanding circle where local varieties of English are emerging.

Originality/value

This paper is all originated from the current study’s research questions and interviews. Students were all attending a university at that time. This study carries an important value, as it reports how Korean university students feel/value WE in relation to IC Englishes and how they feel and shape their attitudes toward the theoretical justification of WE.

Details

English Teaching: Practice & Critique, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1175-8708

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 December 2014

Sarah Hopkyns

The United Arab Emirates’ complex history, its current demographics, its youthfulness as a country, and the fact that it is a region undergoing fast-paced change make the issue of…

3703

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates’ complex history, its current demographics, its youthfulness as a country, and the fact that it is a region undergoing fast-paced change make the issue of cultura identity particularly relevant and urgent in this part of the world. This is especially true given the rapid spread of English in the sphere of education and everyday life in recent years. This paper discusses the above issues before analyzing the attitudes and perceptions of female Emirati undergraduate students and female Emirati primary school teachers with regard to global English and its effects on local culture and identity. After analysis of the findings from a qualitative study using open-response questionnaires with 35 undergraduates and twelve teachers, a discussion follows with recommendations on how to overcome issues raised in the study.

Details

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2077-5504

Book part
Publication date: 3 July 2018

Tariq Elyas and Abdullah Ahmed Al-Ghamdi

This chapter briefly explores selected English and general education policy documents, curricula, and textbooks within the context of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from a Critical…

Abstract

This chapter briefly explores selected English and general education policy documents, curricula, and textbooks within the context of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective and examines how they have changed pre- and post-21st century. First, a policy document related to education in KSA in general (pre-21st century) is analyzed along with an English language teaching (ELT) policy document of the same period. Next, two general policy documents post-21st century are explored, followed by one related to ELT policy. Finally, one post-21st century document related to higher education is discussed. The “network of practices” within which these documents are situated are first detailed, as well as the structural order of the discourse, and some linguistic analysis of the choice of vocabulary and grammatical structures (Meyer, 2001). Issues which might be problematic to the learning and teaching identities of the students and teachers interpreting these documents are also highlighted. Finally, we consider whether the network of practices at this institution and KSA in general “needs” the problems identified in the analysis and critically reflect on the analysis.

Details

Cross-nationally Comparative, Evidence-based Educational Policymaking and Reform
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-767-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1974

Tom Schultheiss, Lorraine Hartline, Jean Mandeberg, Pam Petrich and Sue Stern

The following classified, annotated list of titles is intended to provide reference librarians with a current checklist of new reference books, and is designed to supplement the…

Abstract

The following classified, annotated list of titles is intended to provide reference librarians with a current checklist of new reference books, and is designed to supplement the RSR review column, “Recent Reference Books,” by Frances Neel Cheney. “Reference Books in Print” includes all additional books received prior to the inclusion deadline established for this issue. Appearance in this column does not preclude a later review in RSR. Publishers are urged to send a copy of all new reference books directly to RSR as soon as published, for immediate listing in “Reference Books in Print.” Reference books with imprints older than two years will not be included (with the exception of current reprints or older books newly acquired for distribution by another publisher). The column shall also occasionally include library science or other library related publications of other than a reference character.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Abstract

Details

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2077-5504

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2009

Brian J. Hurn

The purpose of this paper is to show the development of English as the main international language for business, its advantages and disadvantages and the different variants of

7314

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the development of English as the main international language for business, its advantages and disadvantages and the different variants of English.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses competition from other languages and emphasises need for British business itself to acquire fluency in foreign languages and thereby understand other cultures to gain competitive advantage. The author deplores HE's reduction in language teaching and stresses need for development of a simpler, standardised international English for business which can be more easily used by both English native speakers and others. The paper analyses the reasons for spread of English and its strengths and weaknesses and deduces need for a simpler form of international English for global business use..

Findings

The paper concludes that British business should itself acquire linguistic and cultural fluency in foreign languages as well as supporting ways of making English more standardised and simpler for foreigners to acquire.

Originality/value

The paper shows how British business competitive advantage can be increased by reducing linguistic complacency in parallel with supporting the development of a more effective means of communication in English in international business.

Details

Industrial and Commercial Training, vol. 41 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0019-7858

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2010

Martyna Śliwa

The purpose of this paper is to address the intensive spread of the English language in Central and Eastern Europe as an aspect of postsocialist transition.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the intensive spread of the English language in Central and Eastern Europe as an aspect of postsocialist transition.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses the discourses and ideologies related to the spread of English in postsocialist Poland, drawing on insights from critical discourse analysis and language ideology. The empirical material discussed comprises newspaper articles dealing with the topic of language policy in Poland, with a focus on the media campaign, “battle for English”.

Findings

The paper finds that the spread of English is facilitated by powerful discourses propagating the knowledge of English together with the ideology of neo‐liberal economic and social transformation. The exploration of the discourses inherent in the story of the “battle for English” enables the links between the linguistic practices applied by individual actors and the ideologies conveyed by the discourses found in mainstream media to be made explicit.

Research limitations/implications

An awareness of the mechanisms of discourse and ideology allows us to question both the drive behind and the social impact of the spread of English in Central and Eastern Europe.

Originality/value

The paper offers a novel theoretical and empirical contribution to the understanding on postsocialist transition.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 23 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 July 2014

Ellen Hurst

This chapter analyses interviews with 13 African scholars from a range of countries who are currently working at a South African university. The interviews explore aspects of…

Abstract

This chapter analyses interviews with 13 African scholars from a range of countries who are currently working at a South African university. The interviews explore aspects of their migration journeys and the role that language, particularly the English language, has played in their mobility. The majority of the participants originate from English-speaking African countries, and are fluent English speakers. English is currently the international language of the academy, and English fluency can almost be seen as a prerequisite for an international academic career. The driving question behind this research is what have these African highly skilled academic migrants gained and lost from English in terms of their mobility, careers and identities? The participants show complex orientations towards the medium. On the one hand, English is recognised as an enabling medium for international success in academia, and for career and educational opportunities aboard. On the other hand, participants perceive that the emphasis on the English medium has negative effects on their relationships with their home languages and their home countries. The research raises questions about the role of English in higher education in Africa.

Details

Academic Mobility
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-853-2

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