Modeling Plurilithic Orientations to English with Pre‐Service Teachers: An Exploratory International Study

Abstract

A major challenge for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) professionals is how to address the learning needs of diverse learners for whom a monolithic, native-normed version of English is no longer always useful or appropriate. Research in Global Englishes (GE) has noted many teachers' resistance to the adoption of a more "plurilithic" orientation. This study explores whether monolithic beliefs can be effectively challenged using practitioner role models. Video clips featuring early-career English teachers from Germany and China modeling a plurilithic orientation were played to pre-service teachers with the same L1 ("near peers") or different L1s ("more distant peers"). Before viewing, participants responded to a questionnaire assessing their beliefs about English. Immediately following viewing, open-ended reactions to the video content were collected. One month later, participants answered the questionnaire again to measure potential changes in belief. After a further 5 months, a small group of participants were interviewed to explore impacts in greater depth. Data indicate that viewing the role models was a positive experience for most participants and was associated with significant increases in plurilithic orientation for near peers, with evidence of enduring impact for some. We interpret these

The Impact of a Global Englishes Course on Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Teaching English as a Global Language

“…Their study revealed a positive orientation towards GELT, but the participants' attitudes remained bounded to native speaker norms. In line with this finding, Hall et al (2013) revealed student teachers had positive attitudes towards GELT, but some of them were still attached to native speaker norms. Vettorel's (2016) study revealed a GELT course raised student teachers' awareness of GELTrelated issues, and some participants became ready to move towards GELT-informed approaches.…”

“…Following Widdowson (2003) and (Illés, 2016), I employ critical awareness approaches to GELT in teacher education without a transformative orientation. Hall et al (2013) created 'Changing Englishes', an online course for ELT teachers, and fully updated it in 2019. They aimed to raise teachers' awareness of the plurilithic nature of English and develop pedagogical approaches that can respond to the global reality of English.…”

Prospective English language teachers' understandings of global English language teaching

“…The aims of the course are to foster participants' critical awareness of varieties of English and to inform them about the relationship between language and culture. In our course design process, the following resources were used (1) Rose and Galloway (2017) and (2) Hall et al (2023). Rose and Galloway's (2017) work provided valuable insights into the theoretical underpinnings of the GE concept and the evolving nature of English as a global language.…”

“…In our course design process, the following resources were used (1) Rose and Galloway (2017) and (2) Hall et al. (2023). Rose and Galloway's (2017) work provided valuable insights into the theoretical underpinnings of the GE concept and the evolving nature of English as a global language.…”

“…This study is situated within the framework of the GELT paradigm, as research has taken GELT as an innovative curricular approach in ELT which aims to prepare English users for multilingual and multicultural communication in various communities of practice (Hall et al.,2023). GE is also used as an umbrella term to subsume findings from multiple paradigms of ELF, EIL, WE and translanguaging (see Hall et al., 2023; Rose & Galloway, 2017). Compared to these paradigms, the impact of GELT is believed to extend the realm of education.…”