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Said Attitudes & Unsaid Practices:English as a Lingua Franca and Methodological Tension in a Language School in Greece
Achilleas [email protected]
In this presentation, I will… Demonstrate the relevance and
usefulness of a theoretical framework (Kostoulas, in preparation)
Present a ‘thick description’ of a language school in Greece
Explore the tension between Said attitudes and Unsaid practices
Kostoulas, A. (in preparation) Between Paradigms : a case study of a language school in Greece. PhD Thesis. The University of Manchester.
Presentation Outline
Implications for Pedagogy
Methodological Tension Hegemony & Emergence
A Case Study: Selected Findings
Teachers’ Perspective
Learners’ Perspective Courseware
Theoretical Backdrop
Competing Paradigms &
Tension
Standard Language Ideology
English as a Lingua Franca
i. Paradigms informing ELTii. Methodological tensioniii. The Standard Language Ideology and English as a Lingua
Franca
Rethinking ELT
The Dominant Paradigm
Native Speaker use is the criterion of correctness
English is best taught mono-lingually, preferably by a Native Speaker
The learning group ideal (Communicative Language Teaching) is a universally appropriate way to teach English
cf. Phillipson, R. 1992. Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: OUP (pp. 173-218)
The Critical Paradigm
Non-native varieties are equally valid to those of native users (e.g. Widdowson 1997)
Pedagogy should be culturally appropriate (e.g. Holliday 2005)
ELT should be politically aware (e.g. Edge 2006).Edge, J. ed. 2006. (Re- )locating TESOL in an Age of Empire, Language and globalization. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Holliday, A. 2005. The struggle to teach English as an international language, Oxford applied linguistics. Oxford: OUP.
Widdowson, H.G. 1997. EIL, ESL, EFL: Global issues and local interests. World Englishes 16:135-146.
Paradigms interacting
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Multy_droplets_impact.JPG
Methodological tension
Standard Langu age Ideolo
gy
Englis
h as a
Lingua
Franca
Communicati
ve Language
Teaching
Post – metho
d condit
ion
Instrum
entalis
m /
Angloc
entricm
Multicu ltural awaren ess
What?
Why?
How?
TENSION
Dom
inan
t Pa
radig
m
Cri
tica
l Pa
rad
igm
The Standard Language Ideology A ‘single monochrome standard’ is
sufficient for non-native speakers (Quirk, 1985).
The Standard is prestigious; other varieties are not.
Deviations from the Standard are ‘interlanguages’ / ‘fossilized varieties’.
Quirk, R. (1985). The English language in a global context. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), English in the world: teaching and learning of language and literature (pp. 1-6). Cambridge: CUP.
But…
Do linguistically ‘pure’ communities exist any longer?
Is the Standard always helpful in communication among non-native speakers?
What about Institutionalised Varieties of English (World Englishes)?
Native speakers are a minority: can they legitimately define the Standard?
English as a Lingua Franca
• Norms are defined by reference to a common Core shared by all speakers (native & non-native)
Endonormative
• Local , regional and national variations supplement the Core, esp. in phonology
Pluricentric
• Many academics and most teachers doubt that ELF is a legitimate language variety, and are uncertain that it should be elevated to Target-Language status
Controversial
i. Research questionsii. Research methods
This study
Research Question(s)
1. In the context of the language school, is there methodological tension with regard to the target language variety?
2. If so, how is this tension manifested?
Research Design
Teachers
(Interviews)
Learners
(Questionnaires)
Courseware
Data Generati
on
Content Analysis(Quantitative Data)Data
Analysis
‘Thick’ descripti
on
Grounded Theory
(Qualitative Data)
i. The teachers’ perspectiveii. The learners’ perspectiveiii. Insights from the coursewareiv. How does this relate to the Said & the Unsaid?
Attitudes & practices in the language school
The teachers’ perspective
S. L. I. E. L. F. Attitudes
Cultural affinity to Centre
Native English Speaking Teachers provide a ‘better’ linguistic model
Native English Speaking Teachers tend not to be as well qualified
Practices
Accuracy is a priority in writing Less emphasis on accuracy in speakingPronunciation practice a low priority in teaching
The learners’ perspective
S. L. I. E. L. F. Attitudes
English = the language spoken in England
Native speakers are considered better teachers
English is ‘international’, ‘very popular’, an ‘official language’
Received Pronunciation is ‘phoney’, ‘unclear because [speakers] don’t read out all the letters’ ,‘unnatural’
Practices
Grammatical and orthographic accuracy are very important
Phonological accuracy is not so important
Insights from the courseware
S. L. I. E. L. F. Content Emphasis on grammatical
accuracy:29% of taught activities54% of review activities
Recordings
Native Speaker voice actors for all parts, including those of foreigners (!)
SummaryS. L. I. E. L. F.
Said • Teacher and Learner espoused beliefs about language
• Emphasis on accuracy:- Corrections in written work- Grammar Tests
• Perceived superiority of Native Speakers
• Some negative views towards Received Pronunciation in anonymous questionnaires
Unsaid • Priority on intelligibility, not accuracy, in oral communication
• Lack of emphasis on phonology teaching
i. Methodological tensionii. Hegemony & emergenceiii. Reflecting on practice
Pedagogical implications
Methodological tensions
Standard held in high regard Hostility towards RP
Standard is ‘superior’ model NS-like pronunciations
uncommon / hard to understand
Needs
Resources
Hegemony & Emergence
Standard Language Ideology
Said English as a Lingua Franca
Unsaid
Some questions
Is this the way things should be?
Must we stigmatize & marginalise deviations from the Standard?
Is ELF pedagogy marginalised because it’s -simply- unsound?
