Showing papers in "World Englishes in 2001"
TL;DR: This article proposed a set of standards for English as a Second Language (ESL) that would accommodate any variety of English as far as it is comprehensible to the educated users of any variety, native or not.
Abstract: Spreading at the present rate, English will further increase its importance as the global lingua franca in this century. At the same time, the rapid and extensive localization and nativization will accelerate the ramification of English into varieties in the ESL (English as a Second Language) regions. Our challenge then will be how to maintain common standards and mutual intelligibility among those varieties of English. The users of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) who are relatively free from the localization of English might be able to contribute to create, maintain, and develop the globalized standards of Englishes. Such Englishes would be characterized as simple, plain, and regular in their linguistic forms and socioculturally neutral in their interactional strategies. They would accommodate any variety of English as far as it is comprehensible to the educated users of any variety, native or not.
219 citations
TL;DR: This paper provided an overview of the economic approach to the question of the value of English and discussed reasons why this question is attracting increasing attention, and examined the labor market in Switzerland, presenting methodological aspects and providing fundamental statistical reports.
Abstract: Provides an overview of the economic approach to the question of the value of English. Discusses reasons why this question is attracting increasing attention, and examines the labor market in Switzerland, presenting methodological aspects and providing fundamental statistical reports. Results indicate that for Switzerland as a whole, English skills can be associated with high and statistically robust wage premia.
187 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that identity-formation is related to the social process of identity-assignation in the mother tongue context, and that nativeness and nonnativeness among English users constitute non-elective socially constructed identities rather than linguistic categories.
Abstract: This study suggests that identity-formation is related to the social process of identity-assignation in the mother tongue context. The case studies of four English speakers are summarized in this study. The four English speakers, who were all born outside the mother tongue context, bend categories in various ways. This uncovers the ways in which mother tongue speakers situate other English users and how such social attitudes help shape the identities of those users. The findings support the contention that nativeness and nonnativeness among English users constitute non-elective socially constructed identities rather than linguistic categories.
178 citations
TL;DR: This article argued that this attempt to replace Singlish by Standard English, while throwing up valid issues of social identity and cohesiveness, which are prone to get subsumed by the more urgent pragmatic and economic rationalizations proffered, can then be seen as a triumph of the relentless, hegemonic forces of globalization.
Abstract: The increasing use of Singlish in the media, in early schooling and other everyday domains reflects its growing importance as a symbol of social identity and cohesion in Singapore. However, this trend runs counter to the country’s avowed economical goals of becoming a knowledge hub in the region, which it seeks to achieve by developing a highly skilled service sector that is proficient in (Standard) English. Thus, paradoxically, despite a new policy initiative to loosen their traditional tight grip on society in the interest of developing a nation of creative risk-takers, the authorities have recently launched the Speak Good English movement, spawning a slew of editorials, cartoons, skits and commercials in a vigorous attempt at generating awareness among the public of the need to promote the use of Standard English. This paper attempts to show that this move to stem the popularity of Singlish is yet another manifestation of the notion of “creative destruction,” currently being proposed as a strategy to improve the efficiency of corporate and industrial businesses in the country. “Creative destruction” entails the partial destruction of existing economic ideas and structures which rapidly obsolesce with the emergence of new ones. Drawing a parallel with the Speak Mandarin campaign, which has successfully resulted in the dispersal of the local Chinese dialects, the paper argues that this attempt to replace Singlish by Standard English, while throwing up valid issues of social identity and cohesiveness, which are prone to get subsumed by the more urgent pragmatic and economic rationalizations proffered, can then be seen as a triumph of the relentless, hegemonic forces of globalization.
167 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a pilot project was conducted in an English IV class at a public high school to raise students' awareness of the global spread of English and its implications and to have them explore ways to communicate effectively with WE speakers.
Abstract: The global spread of English has increased opportunities for native English speakers in the US to interact with other speakers of world Englishes (WE). However, these native speakers are rarely encouraged to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for intercultural communication, often resulting in a one-way communicative burden imposed on the WE speakers. To explore ways to redress this problem, a pilot project was conducted in an English IV class at a public high school. The purposes were to raise students' awareness of the global spread of English and its implications and to have them explore ways to communicate effectively with WE speakers. This paper describes the instructional unit developed for the project and its effect on students' views on various issues related to communicating with WE speakers, and on their perceptions and comprehension of WE speech samples. The instructional effect was investigated by pre- and post-questionnaires and dictation tests, classroom observations, and post-study interviews. A total of 17 students participated. Results of t-tests for the questionnaires and dictation showed no significant effect except on beliefs about second language acquisition and perceived comprehension of the speech samples. Classroom observations and interviews revealed individual differences in the instructional effect. The paper offers implications and future directions.
118 citations
TL;DR: The authors examines the theoretical concept of world Englishes in light of globalization and briefly outlines phenomena in the organic spread of English around the globe and raises the issue of opportunism in English Language teaching.
Abstract: This paper examines the theoretical concept of world Englishes in light of globalization. The paper briefly outlines phenomena in the organic spread of English around the globe and raises the issue of opportunism in English Language teaching. Ethical implications and implications for research on world Englishes are discussed.
72 citations
TL;DR: The authors examine the corpus of letters in terms of the sociocultural background of the writers, that is, to establish interpretive links between the type of material collected and its situational and cultural context.
Abstract: This paper focuses on personal letter-writing as a mode of communication between an L2 writer and an L1 reader, a little explored discourse type, yet particularly vital and salient in the process of language teaching and learning. The corpus is composed of 120 personal letters. They are supposed to be written to British English native speakers. The data were analyzed and discussed in the light of the theoretical insights of a number of modern linguists, notably Grice's Cooperative Principle and Leech's Principle of Politeness as well as Brown and Levinson's views of politeness strategies. The main objective of the study is to examine the corpus of letters in terms of the sociocultural background of the writers, that is, to establish interpretive links between the type of material collected and its situational and cultural context. As a non-nativized variety of English, the language used by the students exhibits certain peculiarities likely to be the result of contradiction between two different cultures. The major argument therefore developed in this study is that these peculiarities can be seen as “errors” which are the by-product of incomplete understanding of the sociocultural background of the target language.
58 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated how and to what degree English is used in specific elite domains in Sweden through analysis of language requirements to participate in undergraduate & graduate programs at competitive institutions, and language qualifications and language use patterns in elite professions.
Abstract: This paper investigates how & to what degree English is used in specific elite domains in Sweden through analysis of (1) language requirements to participate in undergraduate & graduate programs at competitive institutions, & (2) language qualifications & language use patterns in elite professions. We find that English is used pervasively, but not exclusively. The paper also explores to what extent these language use patterns in elite domains suggest that a language shift toward English in Sweden might take place in the future. Although our data indicate that functional dominance of English is far from complete, we argue the fact that because English holds a prominent position in certain elite domains, it might be significant in influencing language ideology. Furthermore, whereas Sweden cannot presently be characterized as a nation undergoing language shift, the high status of English as the language of international communication & its significance as an important channel of communication in many elite domains are possibly important factors in shaping the climate for language use patterns of the coming decades. (Less)
52 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the current role of English, vis-a`-vis Chichewa, based on its functions, range, and depth, and further show that the exclusive use of English in the legislature, the judiciary, and mass media, among other domains, alienates the majority of Malawians who have no facility in this language and consequently limits their political rights in many respects.
Abstract: This paper demonstrates how the language policy in Malawi has entrenched the hegemony of English over Chichewa and other indigenous languages, especially as it pertains to the official domains of national life. Although both English and Chichewa are official languages, the language policy has created an asymmetrical coexistence between these two languages by favoring English over the latter. The paper presents the current role of English, vis-a`-vis Chichewa, based on its functions, range, and depth. The paper further shows that the exclusive use of English in the legislature, the judiciary, and mass media, among other domains, alienates the majority of Malawians who have no facility in this language and consequently limits their political rights in many respects. It is important, therefore, to institute a language plan that can guide the country in sustaining democracy, promoting the vitality, versatility, and stability of indigenous languages, and the rights of their speakers to participate in the national community more effectively.
46 citations
TL;DR: The authors discusses English pronunciation features in the anglophone countries of East and Southern Africa, focusing on the restructuring of the STRUT vowel to /a/, /i/ and /e/ epenthesis, and short tone groups.
Abstract: This paper discusses English pronunciation features in the anglophone countries of East and Southern Africa. The focus is on the restructuring of the STRUT vowel to /a/, /i/ and /e/ epenthesis, and short tone groups. More importantly, the features which associate with some countries or groups of countries are shown. For example, rhoticity is a feature of Sudanese and Somalian Englishes; the restructuring of the NURSE vowel to /a/ across the board applies to Kenyan and Ugandan Englishes; L-Vocalisation is associated with Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia; the systematic rendering of the NURSE vowel as /e/ is a feature of Southern African English covering Zimbabwe and the other countries to the south; Sudan shares the restructuring of the TRAP vowel to /e/ with Southern Africa. The paper offers a contribution to the linguistic atlas of the region examined which, in many respects, drastically differs from previous assumptions. For example, it shows more exhaustively in what aspects East African English pronunciation differs from Southern African English, indicates the geographical demarcation between the two accents, and clearly defines the transition zone.
43 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the range and depth of English in India and argued that these Kachruvian notions go a long way towards explaining how the language is used, exploited, extended and recreated in the sub-continent.
Abstract: This paper examines the ‘range’ and ‘depth’ of English in India and argues that these Kachruvian notions go a long way towards explaining how the language is used, exploited, extended and recreated in the sub-continent. Data from a variety of sources, both written and spoken, literate and not-so-literate, are presented and it is suggested that in-depth analyses of such data are a prerequisite to any real understanding of the local manifestations of English in the world context.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated stress placement in the English of Spanish speakers, Nigerian English and Singapore English and revealed that they have in common several patterns of stress placement that are distinct from British or American English.
Abstract: This paper investigates stress placement in the English of Spanish speakers, Nigerian English and Singapore English. This investigation reveals that they have in common several patterns of stress placement that are distinct from British or American English. We show that these patterns cannot be accounted for by transfer. A different explanation is suggested, one that explains the recurrent patterns in terms of English vowel duration. It is proposed that in determining stress in multisyllabic words, L2 speakers assess the duration of syllable nuclei and assign stress to the syllable containing the longest vowel. In contrast with transfer, which holds L2 speakers' first languages responsible, this proposal attributes the distinct patterns of stress placement to the target language, making possible a unified account of the shared patterns in the three varieties of English. As L2 speakers, regardless of their first languages, grapple with the same target language, it should have a similar effect, giving rise to the common patterns of stress placement in the three varieties of English.
TL;DR: In the imagination of many of those establishing language policies, especially educational ones, English can be ordered and controlled as mentioned in this paper, and intentions about the type of English to be taught may be expressed, and curriculum requirements may specify the variety of English required of learners.
Abstract: In the imagination of many of those establishing language policies, especially educational ones, English can be ordered and controlled. Intentions about the type of English to be taught may be expressed, and curriculum requirements may specify the variety of English required of learners. However, the imagined learner, the imagined teacher, and the imagined setting of use are often at odds with the reality of the learner's exposure to English, and of the learner's plausible occasions of use. This is one of many areas in which there is a failure to come to grips with the impact of the globalisation of English.
TL;DR: The authors investigates the contexts in which "okay" is used in Nigerian English and proposes that such differences in usage should be recognised, respected and accepted and also raises the question of whether or not current theories of meaning are powerful enough to accommodate new norms of meanings that inevitably develop in language contact situations.
Abstract: This paper investigates the contexts in which ‘okay’ is used in Nigerian English. While some of these senses may readily be accessible to the speakers of English in other contexts because they are basic and literal, many others, such as its use to convey a rebuke, a bye bye, or the termination of discourse, an ironical affirmation of authority, etc. could pose problems for non-Nigerians because their senses are anchored in the Nigerian sociolinguistic and pragmatic contexts. The paper proposes that such differences in usage should be recognised, respected and accepted and also raises the question of whether or not current theories of meaning are powerful enough to accommodate new norms of meanings that inevitably develop in language contact situations.
TL;DR: The authors discusses the use of ever in affirmative responses to yes/no type questions as well as in declarative sentences in discourse in colloquial Singaporean English (SgE).
Abstract: This paper discusses the use of ever in affirmative responses to Yes/No type questions as well as in declarative sentences in discourse in colloquial Singaporean English (SgE). Besides providing exemplifications of ever in the oral mode, it also gives instances of a similar declarative use of ever in the written mode as found in students' writing. The paper goes on to examine parallels in the SgE use of ever with its equivalents in the local languages. While parallels can be seen in Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese and Malay, the authors contend that Hokkien and Malay have stronger entrenching influences. In addition, they also show that the SgE use of ever reflects similarities found in structures with ever/never in standard English. They posit that it is this interplay of both substrate and superstrate syntax and semantics which has given rise to the unique use of ever in SgE.
TL;DR: A content analysis of 11 Indian "Common Errors in English" (CEIE) guidebooks to illustrate how access to English is institutionally withheld from large parts of the Indian population was presented in this paper.
Abstract: This study follows the approach developed in Dendrinos (1992) for EFL textbook analysis, and presents a content analysis of 11 Indian ‘Common Errors in English’ (CEIE) guidebooks to illustrate how access to English is institutionally withheld from large parts of the Indian population. The paper examines seven features: organization, quality and extent of grammatical explanation, reliability of error lists, the pedagogical goals of the authors, how the materials are meant to supplement English language instruction, the variety of English being taught, and the fluency of the authors in the variety being taught. The study also compares the Indian CEIE books to five comparable works published in the United States and Great Britain. The comparative analysis illustrates how concern with standardized examinations encourages the use of memorization as a language learning strategy; this strategy shapes the pedagogy employed in the CEIE guidebooks. The employment of outdated teaching methods and the poor grasp of English exhibited by the authors of the guidebooks, serve to disadvantage students who rely on these books. While the elite agree that English is necessary for social advancement in India, the tools provided to some students for the mastery of English do not encourage fluency. To these students it must seem that the dominant ideology which values English for Indians does not do so for all Indians.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the influence of the Welsh accent on its prosodics and found that the strongest and most enduring Welsh language influence on the accent is found in its rhythm, the way that stress is realized and intonation.
Abstract: The topic of this paper is ‘Welsh English’. Firstly, a brief historical account is given of the growth of English in Wales, because it has only recently supplanted Welsh as the dominant language and the topic of ‘Welsh English’ can scarcely be approached without some understanding of the interaction between the two languages. Then, a short description is given of an accent in the industrialized ‘Valleys’ area of South Wales, where less than 10 per cent of the population can now speak Welsh. Its phonology is examined to see what are its defining characteristics and also ‘how Welsh it is’, i.e. the extent of influence of the Welsh language upon it. It appears that the strongest and most enduring Welsh language influence on the accent is found in its prosodics–its rhythm, the way that stress is realized and intonation.
TL;DR: This paper examined the influence of gender on language across different cultures using Biber's multidimensional analysis (1988) to examine a large corpus of world English literatures written in Indian, West African, Britain, Anglo-American and Mexican American varieties.
Abstract: Research on the influence of gender on language across different cultures has mostly concentrated on qualitative measures of analysis. These measures demonstrate that there are differences in rhetorical and literary style across world Englishes in both the inner and outer circle. Using Biber’s multidimensional analysis (1988) to examine a large corpus of world English literatures written in Indian, West African, Britain, Anglo-American and Mexican American varieties of English, this paper examines whether quantitative analyses can also be insightful and useful in the examination of the influence of gender on language and in expanding our understanding of what “bilingual creativity” entails. The results of this study reveal that computational methods of analyzing texts both confirm former research comparing differences between texts written by men and women in different varieties of English and also shed new light on differences that exist between these varieties.
TL;DR: This article conducted a survey on the use of need in contemporary Australian English and Hong Kong English and found that both the lexical and auxiliary variants of need are widely accepted and used in the speech communities of Australia andHong Kong.
Abstract: Some previous studies (e.g. Quirk and Svartvik, 1966; Greenbaum, 1974) were conducted on the divided usage of need in non-assertive contexts so as to collect information about the use of and attitudes towards its variants. The present survey seeks to yield current information about this usage in contemporary Australian English and Hong Kong English. Data were collected via two elicitation tests with Australian and Hong Kong English teachers and high-school students, and an analysis of three corpora. The findings suggest that unlike other divided usages (e.g. used and have to) which favour the lexical structure, both the lexical and auxiliary variants of need are widely accepted and used in the speech communities of Australia and Hong Kong. Another finding of this study is that the stylistic difference between auxiliary and lexical need has become blurred, especially in Hong Kong as a non-native English speaking community. Some practical suggestions for language teachers on determining what variants to teach are made at the end of this paper.
TL;DR: This paper investigated the range of Creole and Standard English tense-aspect markers used by men and women at two age levels in the island of Tobago in the southern Caribbean, and found that older more educated speakers preferred the acrolect as their public variety while the least educated manual workers disfavoured mesolectal marking.
Abstract: This study investigates the range of Creole and Standard English tense-aspect markers used by men and women at two age levels in the island of Tobago in the southern Caribbean. People aged 70 and over, and people aged 16–21 were compared on critical social variables and interviews were designed to tap their full range of communicative competence. The educated young people evidenced low usage of Standard English relative to the older group. In addition, all the young people showed evidence of focusing on new mesolectal norms for public use. In contrast, older more educated speakers favoured the acrolect as their public variety while the least educated manual workers disfavoured mesolectal marking. The study is not taken to suggest a directionality of language change for the whole society because differences suggest themselves to be age and circumstance specific. It indicates, however, that we may have overestimated the extent to which norms are shared in any given Caribbean sociolinguistic complex and may have overestimated the trend to standardization in present day societies.
TL;DR: In this paper, a diachronic investigation of variation in relativization strategies in media Tok Pisin, an English-based pidgin/creole, reveals that certain innovations in relative clause marking are related to the emergence of informationally-focused literate genres which rely heavily on structural elaboration features that facilitate the dense packaging of informational texts.
Abstract: The linguistic correlates of register expansion constitute a fertile area for research within pidgin and creole studies given that there have been few investigations into how different registers within expanded pidgins and creoles may be characterized linguistically. A diachronic investigation of variation in relativization strategies in media Tok Pisin, an English-based pidgin/creole, reveals that certain innovations in relative clause marking are related to the emergence of informationally-focused literate genres which rely heavily on structural elaboration features that facilitate the dense packaging of informational texts. The addition of new structural variants such as ‘husat’ and ‘we’ for marking relative clauses offers greater stylistic manoeuvrability, and the trend towards more explicit marking of relative clauses in media Tok Pisin is arguably motivated by the need to manipulate and structure complex, cohesive written discourse. These innovations are ultimately related to the functional expansion of Tok Pisin as it evolves to meet new communicative and stylistic requirements.
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