English in English Language Teaching: Shifting Values and Assumptions in Changing Circumstances
نویسنده
چکیده
English Language Teaching (ELT) is a major international enterprise. This theoretical paper suggests that a number of ideological assumptions underpin some aspects of its curricular and pedagogic thinking. Specifically we will look at (a) the ways in which ownership and use of a language has been built around the idea of a homogeneous community or nation with shared and unchanging social values and language practices (leading to the notion of an idealized “native-speaker competence”), and (b) the conception of language (and what language learning comprises) in terms of the features of “standard” varieties. Drawing on the work in the fields of World Englishes and English as a lingua franca, this discussion will explore some of the issues that have emerged in contemporary conditions where neither native-speaker competence nor the norms of standard varieties are central to using English for communication. We argue that a more empiricially grounded view of English would begin to enable us to enrich our description and analysis for curriculum and pedagogic purposes.
منابع مشابه
English in English Languge Teaching: Shifting Values and Assumptions in Changing Circumstances
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