Evaluating the suitability of teaching EIL for the German classroom

Abstract

English has developed into a global language, spoken in numerous varieties and used as a lingua franca worldwide. Consequently, scholars have argued for a shift in English language teaching to an EIL‐oriented approach. This paper examines the suitability of this approach for German secondary schools and shows its relevance for English language teaching in Germany. It further investigates to what extent such an approach can be implemented in Germany based on the curriculum of Germany's most populous state. While the approach ties in well with some components of the curriculum, many elements of teaching English will have to be reconsidered, so that the English classrooms in Germany can move away from the native speaker model towards teaching EIL.

Pluricentric languages and language education: Pedagogical implications and innovative approaches to language teaching

“…Many scholars have argued that the linguistic reality of the coexistence of the different varieties and functions of English needs to be reflected in ELT curricula, teaching materials, and classrooms if students are to be educated for successful global communication in the English language . As for Germany, Syrbe (2018) analyzed the curriculum for the first secondary-school level in one of the largest German federal states, North Rhine-Westphalia. While Syrbe finds that many components in the curriculum would in principle facilitate the implementation of TEIL-oriented teaching, it is the curriculum's underlying focus on 'standard English', linguistic accuracy, and proficiency defined by the norms of inner-circle varieties, paired with a lack of focus on non-British and non-American varieties, that emerge as crucial barriers.…”