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This paper reports research undertaken at a prestigious university in Phnom Penh in late 2007. The views of lecturers who teach the BEd (TEFL) degree and their students were canvassed in relation to the status of English in Cambodia. The students completed a questionnaire probing their views on the notion of a Cambodian English, as well as their preferences for learning different varieties of English. The lecturers discussed similar questions to those of the student questionnaires, but with more probing of actual changes in English usage in Cambodia since the country opened up to the outside world in the early 1990s. The analysis suggests some evolution of the status of English from English as a foreign language (EFL) towards English as an international language (EIL) and, surprisingly, to English as a second language (ESL). Challenges of this evolution for teachers in Cambodia are also discussed.

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& During the past 20 years, English language teaching and learning has grown phenomenally in Cambodia as the country has opened up to the outside world following more than two decades of civil war. As a result, the standard of English spoken today in Cambodia has also risen dramatically. One feature of this context of dynamic change has been the gradual emergence of indigenous TESOL research as a means to address personal, professional, and institutional goals. Much of this research, however, would not be judged rigorous enough to meet standards for publication in international peer-reviewed journals. This article explores the apparent mismatch between the qualities of local TESOL research and the expectations implicit in global TESOL standards. The Cambodian experience raises important issues about the legitimacy of Western ownership of research, and the extent to which it is possible for a small developing country to foster its own research culture where local knowledge and practices are featured. BACKGROUND