Contextualising a pedagogical model for English‐language education in Hong Kong

Abstract

A major controversy in the fields of World Englishes (WE) and English as a lingua franca (ELF) has been the application of exonormative Inner Circle norms to ELT classrooms in diverse multilingual societies. This article seeks to examine the suitability of adopting a WE and/or an ELF‐oriented pedagogical model, as well as the corresponding research findings, in Hong Kong's ELT classroom. More specifically, the study investigated the use of English by the local professionals and, furthermore, evaluated the comparability of Hong Kong's sociolinguistic reality to typical WE and ELF contexts via a structured questionnaire survey and semi‐structured interviews.

Language educators’ regard for variation in late modernity: Perceptions of linguistic variation in minority contexts

“…Similar to research with teachers elsewhere (e.g. Chan , , ; Jenkins ), participants in this study feel that the features of the post‐traditional variety in the SEE hold identificational relevance. They allow new speakers to participate in the revitalisation enterprise without fundamentally altering their own place identity:…”

“…Similar to research with teachers elsewhere (e.g. Chan 2015Chan , 2016Chan , 2017Jenkins 2005), participants in this study feel that the features of the post-traditional variety in the SEE hold identificational relevance. They allow new speakers to participate in the revitalisation enterprise without fundamentally altering their own place identity: Participants here speak to an alternative legitimacy, identity, and perhaps even an alternative authenticity, for the post-traditional speech variety presented in the SEE.…”

“…In another study of 600 participants across 45 countries (Timmis ), English teachers are revealed as more accepting of ‘non‐native’ pronunciation than their student counterparts. Chan (, , ) reports similar findings for Hong Kong English, where teachers are more positive about local English than university students and professionals. Furthermore, Murray () finds ‘native’ speaker teachers of English are more receptive to ‘non‐standard’ English grammar and Euro‐English features than ‘non‐native’ teachers.…”

“…In the U.K., it is claimed that destandardisation is underway with previously stigmatised varieties moving into spaces formerly reserved for ‘standard’ English (Coupland ). In major global languages like English, research suggests that the value of traditional low prestige varieties is being reconsidered as the profile of language user changes (Chan , , ; Jenkins ). In minority settings, ideologies on variation are similarly renegotiated as communities engage with variation that emerges during shift and revitalisation (e.g.…”

A Bibliometric Review of World Englishes (2010-2020)

“…Within this "social media paradigm of communication" (KhosraviNik, 2017), some scholars are dedicated to critical discourse analysis in social media (e.g.,Chu & Ruthrof, 2017; Sarkhoh & KhosraviNik, 2020). Several publications have also been dedicated to WE in television commercials and programs (Amos, 2019; Bhatia, 2019; Raedts et al, 2015; Vettorel & Franceschi, 2019).The fourth research area is ELF, English teaching under the ELF context, and the discussion between the WE and ELF paradigm (e.g.,Chan, 2016;Fang, 2017;Jenkins et al, 2011;Mauranen, 2018;Sifakis & Bayyurt, 2015). According to Fang (2017), the "WE-or-ELF argument has caught scholars' attention and raised several debates in various geographical contexts" (p 19)…”