English as an Asian lingua franca and the multilingual model of ELT

Abstract

The concept of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has recently caused a great deal of controversy, much of it based on a misunderstanding of ELF. In this presentation, I shall first provide a brief history of lingua francas and then compare and contrast two major Asian lingua francas – Bahasa Indonesia and Putonghua – in order to show how different their developmental paths have been. The presentation will then consider the current role that English is playing as a lingua franca, with a particular focus on its role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia. Examples of linguistic features of English as a lingua franca in Asia will be provided. These will be contrasted with linguistic features of vernacular varieties of English, varieties of world English and European ELF. Finally, possible implications of ELF in English language teaching, and the ‘multilingual model’ will be proposed. Suggestions on ways in which English/regional lingua francas and local languages might work together as languages of education will conclude the presentation.

Japan’s English-medium instruction initiatives and the globalization of higher education

“…Previously, it has been argued that Japan's internationalization policies conflated the terms globalization with Englishization (Phan 2013), and it is undeniable that Englishization is seen as a necessary part of internationalization in TGUP. We recognize that English is not only a prominent feature in Japanese society (Seargeant 2011) but also concur with Kirkpatrick (2011) that Englishization is a feature of internationalization worldwide, and thus we should not be too critical of Japan's emphasis on the role of English in this process. English has played a historically important role in Japan, from the Meiji Restoration in 1863 to today's global business pressures.…”

“…It has been noted that internationalization and EMI in the twenty-first century are inextricably intertwined, as universities turn to Englishization in order to internationalize (Kirkpatrick 2011). Thus, EMI programs have become "commonplace in many institutes of higher education where English is not the native language" (Wilkinson 2013: 3).…”

On the Possibility of Mandarin Chinese as a Lingua Franca

“…Graddol's study was commissioned as a result of the increasing global importance of China, both economically and culturally. Several researchers have argued, to varying degrees, that Mandarin Chinese is growing in influence and is becoming an important international language (Lo Bianco, 2007;Chmelynski, 2006;Ding & Saunders, 2006;Zhang & Li, 2010;Zhao & Huang, 2010;Dretzke & Jordan, 2010;Gil, 2011;Kirkpatrick, 2011;Lu, 2008;Zhang, 2011;Hartig, 2012;Hua & Wei, 2014).…”

Creating Communities: The L2 Self and ICT in an EFL Classroom

“…The continuing significance of English as a common tongue for global communication is well documented (Kirkpatrick, 2007(Kirkpatrick, , 2011Ryan, 2006Ryan, , 2009Seidlhofer, 2004). Although the number of native speakers of English is declining, by 2050 half the world is expected to be using English to some extent (Graddol, 2003;Johnson, 2009).…”

“…A second class used video screen capture software to record a news report and then share their imagined L2 identities with the first class via the blog. By the end of term it was revealed that the learners' positive response to this project could be an instrumental approach to developing autonomous L2 communities beyond the classroom.The continuing significance of English as a common tongue for global communication is well documented (Kirkpatrick, 2007(Kirkpatrick, , 2011Ryan, 2006Ryan, , 2009Seidlhofer, 2004). Although the number of native speakers of English is declining, by 2050 half the world is expected to be using English to some extent (Graddol, 2003;Johnson, 2009).…”