More than a lingua franca: Functions of English in a globalised educational language policy

Hult, Francis M.

doi:10.1080/07908318.2017.1321008

Cited by 47 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This, it has been argued, is because university policies have ostensibly been ‘driven by economic considerations’ (Shohamy, , p. 208). Discursively and rhetorically, initiatives to introduce EMI have been articulated via legitimating frameworks which affirm its putative economic benefits in a globalized world where knowledge and disciplinary meanings are created and disseminated competitively (Coleman, ; Hult, ; Iino, ; Kim, Tatar, & Choi, ). Such rhetoric in turn follows representations of English's role ‘in a new global world where it serves as the main lingua franca’ (Shohamy, , p. 197), which Hult (), following Phillipson's (, ) analysis of domains and orientations of English, expands on in his discussion of English's functions as a lingua academica and lingua economica .…”

Section: Emi: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Discursively and rhetorically, initiatives to introduce EMI have been articulated via legitimating frameworks which affirm its putative economic benefits in a globalized world where knowledge and disciplinary meanings are created and disseminated competitively (Coleman, ; Hult, ; Iino, ; Kim, Tatar, & Choi, ). Such rhetoric in turn follows representations of English's role ‘in a new global world where it serves as the main lingua franca’ (Shohamy, , p. 197), which Hult (), following Phillipson's (, ) analysis of domains and orientations of English, expands on in his discussion of English's functions as a lingua academica and lingua economica . English as a lingua academica recognizes the role of English in academic contexts for teaching and learning as well as dissemination of academic knowledge; English as a lingua economica indexes its role in market negotiations and assertions of corporate interests within neoliberal domains of globalization (see Hult, ).…”

Section: Emi: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such rhetoric in turn follows representations of English's role ‘in a new global world where it serves as the main lingua franca’ (Shohamy, , p. 197), which Hult (), following Phillipson's (, ) analysis of domains and orientations of English, expands on in his discussion of English's functions as a lingua academica and lingua economica . English as a lingua academica recognizes the role of English in academic contexts for teaching and learning as well as dissemination of academic knowledge; English as a lingua economica indexes its role in market negotiations and assertions of corporate interests within neoliberal domains of globalization (see Hult, ). Both of these roles or aspects of English were captured somewhat earlier by Benesch () in her incisive exposé of both the political and economic (neoliberal) roots of English in its functions as an academic language.…”

Section: Emi: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenges in English‐medium instruction (EMI) at a Japanese university

Toh

2019

World Englishes

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This paper concerns English-medium instruction (EMI) and beginswith an overview of issues relating to EMI initiatives in higher education as documented in the literature. Following this, the case of a Japanese university's attempt to introduce EMI into the curriculum of a newly setup liberal arts faculty is discussed. Conclusions about challenges that can follow policy initiatives to introduce EMI are drawn from this discussion. Outcomes and implications of different ways of understanding and/or conceptualizing the role of English in higher education and EMI are examined critically. The issues surfaced have implications for EMI policy making and implementation, bearing in mind the negotiations that need to take place given the workings of opposing forces: (1) those which reify homogenizing discourses about language, power and education; versus (2) those which accommodate the contextually particularized aspects of teaching and learning and the characteristically heterogeneous and intersectional nature of teacher and learner subjectivities. c 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/weng World Englishes 2020;39:334-347. TOH 335concerned. The thick description provided in the book attests to the fact that EMI initiatives in situations where English has traditionally not been the medium of classroom instruction cannot be treated reductively and, still less, directorially, but must be considered as reflexive matters that concern: (1) the confluences of language, knowledge, meaning making and the negotiated nature of disciplinarity; as well as (2) the cultural-politics of language and ideology germane to the very locality and intersectionality of the particular initiative. The issues examined will have implications for EMI policy making, conceptualization and implementation, bearing in mind the sorts of negotiations that have to take place given the workings of opposing ideological forces: (1) those which reify homogenizing discourses about language, power and education; versus (2) those which accommodate the contextually particularized aspects of teaching and learning and the characteristically heterogeneous and intersectional nature of teacher and learner subjectivities.

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Section: Emi: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Emi: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Emi: Issues and Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenges in English‐medium instruction (EMI) at a Japanese university

Toh

2019

World Englishes

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“…However, an important point to note about the English part of the national curriculum in Sweden is that no specific variety is assumed; rather, a communicative competence, as well as a knowledge of how English is used in different contexts, is the focus, which mirrors the framing of ELF (cf. Hult, 2017). Modiano (2003) notes that Swedish learners of English adopt a mixture of British and American English norms, for spelling in particular but also syntax.…”

Section: English In Europementioning

confidence: 99%

Authenticity of Language Practices in Virtual Learning Sites

White

2019

Virtual Sites as Learning Spaces

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environments have been argued to afford for more interaction especially among minorities and those less willing to interact face-to-face. It is argued in this chapter that another affordance of virtual learning sites is that there is a corresponding freer attitude towards norms which can be created through interaction between language users, and there is not the same focus on static, mostly written, norms from Inner Circle countries. The term virtual learning sites is used in this chapter to refer to purely net-based learning sites. Contexts where campus students use online learning management systems like Blackboard or Fronter are not included. The learning, and especially the interaction, needs to take place purely through net-based means. Research on norms often approaches the issue through attitude research, but I have used a mixed-method approach to compare students' reported attitudes with actual language practices. This mixed method is productive since we can thereby see any discrepancies between the two. Since attitudes to English are so diverse, my intention is to look at the situation within Europe where there may not be the same associations between English and colonialism as there are in an African or Asian context. Results will be presented from a survey of attitudes to English varieties among university students on net-based language courses in Sweden. This is complemented by data coming from textchats produced by these students in a net-based education context. Before presenting the survey and its results, some background on the status of English in the world and in Europe will first be discussed.

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“…Although the reforms appeared to be promising, these changes have yielded various challenges for teachers, course designers and other stake holders in educational institutions, such as using teaching methods. Moreover, the newly introduced changes gave rise to concerns related to the learners' attitude towards English language learning that might influence the implementation of teaching and learning plans (Hult, 2017). In the Saudi EFL setting, the major concern of the teachers and course designers is the learners' low level of motivation that often makes it difficult to implement the reform agenda in educational institutions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Perceptions and Beliefs of Saudi Preparatory Year Program Learners Towards Learning English: A Case Study

Massri¹

2019

SSRN Journal

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Learning English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) can be a challenging experience. Nevertheless, being proficient in English language guarantees better job opportunities in various fields and thus learners need to acquire an acceptable level of proficiency. Recognizing its significant role in the learners' academic and professional excellence, the English language has gained the status of a mandatory language in the Saudi higher education institutions. As students enter universities for higher studies, they are often required to take prerequisite courses in English to gain a higher level of proficiency. This qualitatively driven descriptive case study investigated the attitudes of EFL students who were enrolled in the Foundation Year Program. This study aimed to examine the learners' feelings, emotions, and attitudes in the light of their academic performance. In total, thirteen male and seventeen female students were interviewed using semistructured interviews as a main tool for the data collection. They were asked to recall and write their narratives regarding their experience of learning the English language throughout the foundation year program. The socio-constructivist nature of this qualitative case study offered an opportunity to participants to share their stories. Consequently, it highlighted the factors that motivated them for a language learning experience. Moreover, it allowed them to reflect on the challenges that they encountered during their learning odyssey of the English language course as part of the preparatory year program (PYP). Findings from this research study suggest that the participants' motivations to learn English are primarily related to socioeconomic reasons. Besides, students were particularly motivated to learn English when they were encouraged by their families and by 'good' teaching practices. Nevertheless, these findings failed to establish an association between the learners' attitudes and their performance on the assessments during the course. This case study adds to the existing literature by examining a context that lacks empirical evidence on the topic of EFL learners' beliefs about English learning. More research in this area is required to determine why this discrepancy occurred.

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More than a lingua franca: Functions of English in a globalised educational language policy

Cited by 47 publications

References 33 publications

Challenges in English‐medium instruction (EMI) at a Japanese university

Challenges in English‐medium instruction (EMI) at a Japanese university

Authenticity of Language Practices in Virtual Learning Sites

The Perceptions and Beliefs of Saudi Preparatory Year Program Learners Towards Learning English: A Case Study

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