English as a Lingua Franca and Methodological Tension in a Language School in Greece Achilleas Kostoulas AchilleasKostoulaspostgradmanchesteracuk In this presentation I will Demonstrate the relevance and usefulness of a theoretical framework Kostoulas in preparation ID: 378384
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Slide1
Said Attitudes & Unsaid Practices:
English as a Lingua Franca and Methodological Tension in a Language School in Greece
Achilleas
Kostoulas
Achilleas.Kostoulas@postgrad.manchester.ac.ukSlide2
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 GreeceExplore the tension between Said attitudes and Unsaid practicesKostoulas, A. (in preparation) Between Paradigms : a case study of a language school in Greece. PhD Thesis. The University of Manchester.Slide3
Presentation OutlineSlide4
Paradigms informing ELTMethodological tension
The Standard Language Ideology and English as a Lingua FrancaRethinking ELTSlide5
The Dominant Paradigm
Native Speaker use is the criterion of correctnessEnglish is best taught mono-lingually, preferably by a Native SpeakerThe learning group ideal (Communicative Language Teaching) is a universally appropriate way to teach Englishcf. Phillipson, R. 1992. Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: OUP (pp. 173-218)Slide6
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.Slide7
Paradigms interacting
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Multy_droplets_impact.JPGSlide8
Methodological tension
What?
Why?
How?
TENSION
Dominant Paradigm
Critical ParadigmSlide9
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.Slide10
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?Slide11
English as a Lingua FrancaSlide12
Research questionsResearch methods
This studySlide13
Research Question(s)
In the context of the language school, is there methodological tension with regard to the target language variety? If so, how is this tension manifested?Slide14
Research Design
Teachers
(
Interviews
)
Learners
(
Questionnaires
)
Courseware
Data Generation
Content
Analysis
(Quantitative Data)
Data Analysis
‘Thick’ description
Grounded Theory
(
Qualitative Data
)Slide15
The teachers’ perspectiveThe learners’ perspective
Insights from the coursewareHow does this relate to the Said & the Unsaid?Attitudes & practices in the language schoolSlide16
The teachers’ perspective
S. L. I. E. L. F. AttitudesCultural affinity to Centre
Native English Speaking Teachers provide a ‘better’ linguistic modelNative English Speaking Teachers tend not
to be as well qualified
Practices
Accuracy is a priority in writing
Less emphasis on accuracy in speaking
Pronunciation practice a low priority in teachingSlide17
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 importantSlide18
Insights from the courseware
S. L. I. E. L. F. ContentEmphasis on grammatical accuracy
:29% of taught activities54% of review activitiesRecordings
Native Speaker voice actors for all parts, including those of foreigners (!)Slide19
Summary
S. L. I.E. L. F. SaidTeacher 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 teachingSlide20
Methodological tensionHegemony & emergence
Reflecting on practicePedagogical implicationsSlide21
Methodological tensions
Needs
ResourcesSlide22
Hegemony & EmergenceSlide23
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?Slide24
Questions?
Thank you for your attention!Achilleas.Kostoulas@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk