Showing papers in "World Englishes in 2011"
TL;DR: This article conducted an empirical survey of the attitudes of Spanish academics at the University of Zaragoza to the possible disadvantage they may experience in publishing in English, and investigated determinants of these attitudes.
Abstract: This paper focuses on an issue attracting increasing attention: the possible disadvantage inflicted on non-Anglophone academics by the dominance of English in scientific publication and academic exchange. We critically review the evidence for linguistic disadvantage, noting some of its limitations, and critique the native/non-native distinction as a coarse and somewhat unsatisfactory criterion for distinguishing between the advantaged and disadvantaged. In the second part of the paper we report on an empirical survey of the attitudes of Spanish academics at the University of Zaragoza to the possible disadvantage they may experience in publishing in English, and we investigate determinants of these attitudes. Though the survey shows, as expected, that a majority do feel disadvantaged in academic publication relative to Anglophone scholars, it also indicates, we argue, that attitudes are more complex and multidimensional than the literature sometimes suggests. Self-reported language proficiency emerges as a significant determinant of attitudes. The final part of the paper discusses a number of proposed language planning interventions designed to redress linguistic disadvantage. We argue that some of the more radical of these are flawed or unfeasible and suggest that more modest measures have a greater likelihood of ameliorating the situation.
178 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the opinions of teaching staff involved in English-medium instruction, from pedagogical ecology-of-language and personal viewpoints, at a multilingual Spanish university where majority (Spanish), minority (Basque) and foreign (English) languages coexist, resulting in some unavoidable linguistic strains.
Abstract: InthenewEuropeanhighereducationspace,UniversitiesinEuropeareexhortedtocultivate and develop multilingualism. The European Commission's 2004-2006 action plan for promoting language learning and diversity speaks of the need to build an environment which is favourable to languages. Yet reality indicates that it is English which reigns supreme and has become the main foreign language used as means of instruction at European universities. Internationalisation has played a key role in this process, becoming one of the main drivers of the linguistic hegemony exerted by English. In this paper we examine the opinions of teaching staff involved in English-medium instruction, from pedagogical ecology- of-language and personal viewpoints. Data were gathered using group discussion. The study was conducted at a multilingual Spanish university where majority (Spanish), minority (Basque) and foreign (English) languages coexist, resulting in some unavoidable linguistic strains. The implications for English-medium instruction are discussed at the end of this paper.
154 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the attitudes of Asian learners toward their L1-accented English and found that the negative attitude toward their Japanese accent was the greatest among the three groups of participants.
Abstract: According to previous studies, Japanese EFL learners who wish to acquire American or British English pronunciation are reluctant to speak their L1-accented English. In view of this tendency, the present study examined the attitudes of Asian learners toward their L1-accented English. University students from Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia evaluated their English pronunciation by responding to a questionnaire. The results of the survey revealed the extent to which their acceptance of their English accents differs: the Malaysian students highly valued their accented English, while the Japanese and Koreans disapproved of their own varieties of English and indicated their preference for native English pronunciation. In particular, the Japanese participants’ negative attitude toward their Japanese-accented English was found to be the greatest among the three groups. The distinct trend among the groups will be discussed with consideration of the historical and political backgrounds in the societies which might have impacted on the process of constructing L2 learners’ language identity. These backgrounds should have a substantial influence on current educational policy and social actions in each country. Finally, pedagogical implications for English education in Japan will be argued discussed.
141 citations
TL;DR: The use of English as an international language (EIL) and its implications for teaching have attracted much scholarly attention as discussed by the authors, however, much of the discussion has remained at an abstract level and not provided pedagogical ideas that are theoretically sound, informed by research, and at the same time specific enough to be useful in the classroom.
Abstract: The use of English as an international language (EIL) and its implications for teaching have attracted much scholarly attention. However, much of the discussion has remained at an abstract level and not provided pedagogical ideas that are theoretically sound, informed by research, and at the same time specific enough to be useful in the classroom. This poses a great challenge for teachers: while they receive a strong message that their current practice may be inadequate in preparing learners for using English in international encounters, they are not presented with suggestions of where to start implementing changes. The goal of this paper is to build upon the existing literature on teaching English for international communication with greater emphasis on pedagogical decisions and practices in the classroom. Using the conceptualization of EIL as a function of English as an international common language rather than a linguistic variety used uniformly in all international contexts, we explore key questions in TEIL and suggest specific ways to introduce an EIL perspective to existing English language classrooms.
117 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the use of English in computer-mediated discourse, and considered the extent to which the traditional varieties-based approach to the study of global English can provide adequate analytic tools for describing the actuality of communicative encounters conducted on the Internet.
Abstract: This paper examines the use of English in computer-mediated discourse, and considers the extent to which the traditional varieties-based approach to the study of global English can provide adequate analytic tools for describing the actuality of communicative encounters conducted on the Internet. Starting from the contention that languages as discrete entities are a problematic sociolinguistic category, the paper addresses the question of how the study of global English may be refined to accommodate the type of English-related communicative phenomena found in many online encounters. Drawing upon examples of communication between Thai speakers via social networking and instant messaging services, the paper outlines the complexity of English-related forms in this genre of online interaction, and considers the metatheoretical questions this complexity poses for the discipline of world Englishes in terms of how best to describe and categorise such phenomena.
76 citations
TL;DR: This paper suggested a practice-based perspective on ELF, which treats language not as a fixed system but as an emergent product of speakers' practices, and suggested that such a reconceptualization can help us explore the accommodative practices of ELF speakers with greater sensitivity to issues of power, enrich our understanding of intelligibility and how it is mediated by language ideologies.
Abstract: This paper identifies several key issues that have emerged through the debate over English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), and suggests a practice-based perspective—which treats language not as a fixed system but as an emergent product of speakers’ practices—as a guide for reconsidering some fundamental assumptions of the ELF research project. In particular, this paper suggests viewing ELF not as a variety, but as an activity type, where the goal of interaction involves the need to communicate in a situation where the participants do not share the same first language. It claims that such a reconceptualization can help us explore the accommodative practices of ELF speakers with greater sensitivity to issues of power, enrich our understanding of intelligibility and how it is mediated by language ideologies, and develop a pedagogy that emphasizes greater cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity.
72 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored who Chinese non-English majors prefer as their English teachers: English teachers from China (ETC) or so-called native-speaking English teachers (NETs) This issue has been keenly debated in the Chinese press in recent years However, it is not a debate in which the voices of the learners and teachers of English have been sufficiently reported through empirical studies.
Abstract: In an era when English has become the uncontested world language, this study explores who Chinese non-English majors prefer as their English teachers: English teachers from China (ETCs) or so-called native-speaking English teachers (NETs) This issue has been keenly debated in the Chinese press in recent years However, it is not a debate in which the voices of the learners and teachers of English have been sufficiently reported through empirical studies The study draws comprehensive data from 984 college students and their teachers at four universities in different parts of China On the basis of three cross-validated research methods (questionnaire survey, matched-guise technique, and focused interview), it is argued that, where possible, college English classes should be taught by both ETCs and NETs, since students can benefit from the strengths of both types of teachers In addition, ETCs should be given opportunities to train in English-speaking countries in order to improve their own English proficiency levels and that only qualified NETs should be recruited to teach college English in China
61 citations
TL;DR: The main argument of as discussed by the authors is to present certain sociolinguistic characteristics of Turkey that are shared by former colonies of English-speaking nations, despite the fact that it has never been colonized by English speaking powers, and to contemplate upon the particular reasons for the developments in light of sociopolitical and historical movements, as well as the recent repercussions in the nation.
Abstract: Part of the Expanding Circle in Kachruvian concentric conceptualization of the Englishes around the globe, English in Turkey has no recognized official status in the State. Nevertheless, English performs an array of functions in different domains in the country in addition to being used as a medium of international communication with the rest of the world. The main argument of the paper is twofold: first, to present certain sociolinguistic characteristics of the country that are shared by former colonies of English-speaking nations, despite the fact that it has never been colonized by English-speaking powers; second, to contemplate upon the particular reasons for the developments in light of sociopolitical and historical movements, as well as the recent repercussions in the nation.
48 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the results of a survey involving more than 2,000 English users in Hong Kong which sought to generate much-needed baseline data about patterns of language choice and use in one centrally important and hitherto overlooked domain: the professional workplace.
Abstract: One of the dominant themes of the literature on language in Hong Kong is the belief that English, particularly its spoken form, plays a limited role in the lives of the territory's mainly Cantonese-speaking Chinese community. For this reason, it is argued, there is no societal basis for the development of a nativised variety of English. One of the limitations of the case against Hong Kong English is that it is based on expert opinion rather than empirical evidence about the nature and extent of English use in the lives of Hong Kong bilinguals. This paper examines the results of a survey involving more than 2,000 English users in Hong Kong which sought to generate much-needed baseline data about patterns of language choice and use in one centrally important and hitherto overlooked domain: the professional workplace. The findings indicate that Hong Kong professionals spend a significant proportion of their working lives reading and writing English texts. Although Cantonese is the usual medium of oral communication, spoken English also plays an important role, particularly in formal situations. The findings also suggest that the need for English increases as a professional rises through the ranks.
47 citations
TL;DR: The authors have worked towards establishing a more positive attitude towards international varieties of English, however, the scholars promoting the world Englishes paradigm (WE) have worked to establish a positive attitude toward international languages.
Abstract: Over the last three decades the scholars promoting the world Englishes paradigm (WE) have worked towards establishing a more positive attitude towards international varieties of English. However, d ...
44 citations
TL;DR: This article explored Chinese white-collar workers' multilingual creativity when they seek to represent themselves as a distinct social form and to articulate their diasporic consciousness on an electronic bulletin board.
Abstract: The nearly universal requirement of English study in colleges has afforded the language an unprecedented institutional status and given rise to an increasingly large English-literate public in the Expanding Circle countries. Adopting the lens of domestic diaspora, the present study explores Chinese white-collar workers' multilingual creativity when they seek to represent themselves as a distinct social form and to articulate their diasporic consciousness on an electronic bulletin board. Using thematic and rhetorical analysis, the study reveals not only patterns of social and personal behaviors of the new Chinese workforce but also the symbolic strategies that they develop to achieve agency. Rather than confining themselves to bilingual resources, white-collar workers actively utilize resources from multiple languages (such as Standard English, Standard Mandarin, Chinese regional dialects, and Internet language), and the multimodal functions of the digital technologies. Their idiosyncratic, fluid use of English defies the time-honored scholarly view of China English as a discrete formal linguistic system.
TL;DR: In this paper, an article originally submitted to World Englishes and whose final and definitive form has been published in WER 30 (2) pp. 251-268 is presented.
Abstract: This is the unreviewed manuscript of an article originally submitted to World Englishes and whose final and definitive form has been published in World Englishes 30 (2) pp. 251-268. Available online at : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291467-971X
TL;DR: This article examined the evolution of the use of English as an attention-getter and as an incentive to purchase commercial products in French print advertising and found an increase in the previously documented association of English with positive concepts such as technological advance, reliability, business efficiency, and sophistication.
Abstract: This study supplements previous research on the use of English in French print advertising with a diachronic and quantitative analysis of its evolution over an eight-year period. Despite France's long tradition of linguistic protectionism, language laws aimed at restricting the use of English have shaped the language of advertising in France, resulting into greater bilingual creativity. The evolution of the use of English as an attention-getter and as an incentive to purchase commercial products in France is examined from a socio-linguistic perspective. Results indicate an increase in the previously documented association of English with positive concepts such as technological advance, reliability, business efficiency, and sophistication. There is also evidence that advertisers using English in their ads no longer primarily resort to North American landscapes to convey an impression of exoticism, but to a variety of other global images, suggesting that one growing function of English in French print advertising is that of a purely linguistic tool of communication (i.e. a lingua franca) favoring cultural and business exchanges in a linguistically diverse global world.
TL;DR: The authors conducted a sociolinguistic study on the use of English in the context of Ghanaian Masses and in informal social interactions by worshippers in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.
Abstract: This sociolinguistic study looks at language use at Catholic Masses and in informal social interactions by worshippers in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. The focus is on English employed monolingually as well as alternated or mixed with local languages. Data for the study were collected through the participant observation method. Findings revealed that, although it is mainly a second language in Ghana, English dominates Catholic Masses in urban centers like Accra, and is used extensively and in different combinations with indigenous languages. Even though all the major indigenous languages spoken in Accra, including Twi, Ga, and Ewe, were found to be in use especially in the middle and lower-class churches, English seems to dominate Catholic Masses including such parts as the introduction, homilies, prayers of the faithful, and announcements. In the multilingual urban environment of Accra and the socioreligious context of Catholic services, different types of linguistic hybridity seem to compete with monolingual English as both priests and worshippers make use of their linguistic resources according to the communicative demands of the occasion.
TL;DR: This article investigated the construction of linguistic modernity via English mixing in the discourse of Hungarian television commercials and found that mixing English with Hungarian is a linguistic mechanism for the establishment of the idea of modernity in contemporary Hungary.
Abstract: This study investigates the construction of linguistic modernity via English mixing in the discourse of Hungarian television commercials. By identifying the group of commercials as a special discourse, it explores the creation of a modern identity attached to the presence of Anglicized items in the texts of the advertisements. Thirty-two hours of commercials were video-taped in Budapest, Hungary, during weekly prime time in February 2008. A total of 208 advertising spots were analysed. The findings suggest that mixing English with Hungarian is a linguistic mechanism for the establishment of the idea of modernity in contemporary Hungary. It is argued that the use of English is a central linguistic expression of modernity, while the absence of English is linguistically associated with tradition.
TL;DR: The authors argue that interpretations of legal discourse invariably depend on the context of socio-pragmatic realities to which a particular instance of legal language applies, and hence socio-political as well as cross-cultural factors have a crucial role to play in its interpretation.
Abstract: Much of the work on legal discourse has focused on its construction, interpretation, and use with particular emphasis on either language or legal content; however, very little attention is paid to context, both socio-political as well as cross-cultural, although all forms of legal discourse, spoken as well as written, are applied and interpreted in the context of what Scollon refers to as ‘sites of engagement’. Drawing on a number of legal contexts, this paper will attempt to illustrate that interpretations of legal discourse invariably depend on the context of socio-pragmatic realities to which a particular instance of legal discourse applies, and hence socio-political as well as cross-cultural factors have a crucial role to play in its interpretation.
TL;DR: This article assessed the attitudinal responses of 48 Japanese university students towards 10 accented English speech samples across nine evaluative criteria and found that although the students favored the native-English speech samples, they were generally unsuccessful in identifying where the speaker of each speech sample originated.
Abstract: This study assessed the attitudinal responses of 48 Japanese university students towards 10 accented English speech samples across nine evaluative criteria. Of the 10 samples, one was a Japanese- English speech sample (the intracultural familiar), seven were non-native-English samples originating from a variety of Asian countries (intercultural others), and two were native-English samples originating from America and England (preferred intercultural others). Framed within socio-psychological intergroup theoriesofidentity,andcurrentdebatesconcerningEnglishasaForeignLanguage(EFL),theresultsindicate that although the students favoured the native-English speech samples, they were generally unsuccessfully in identifying where the speaker of each speech sample originated. This paper contends that the native English speech samples were afforded a kind of quasi-ingroup status among the Japanese students, while the non-native Asian speech samples were positioned firmly within a distant outgroup category. The results are discussed in relation to the development of positive intercultural relationships, the domestic presence of the foreigner and the implications for the future of ELT within Japan.
TL;DR: This article explored the way a group of pre-teens in Singapore use Malay, Chinese and English to perform identity, and found that Malay and Mandarin are out-group languages in the language ideology of Singapore.
Abstract: This paper explores the way a group of pre-teens in Singapore use Malay, Chinese and English to perform identity. It is based on one case study of a Malay girl, Syafiqah, from a larger project called The Sociolinguistic Survey of Singapore 2006, and does not claim to be generalizable. The data are transcripts of recordings made on the speech patterns of Syafiqah in the domain of family and friends. Though Malay and Mandarin are out-group languages in the language ideology of Singapore, we find that among this group of friends, the Malay and Chinese pre-teens cross over into these languages to create solidarity between different ethnicities. They use Malay and Mandarin to perform and display identity. Patterns of exclusion in this group are based on personality and not ethnicity. Though a language of solidarity in Singapore's language ideology, these pre-teens perceive Standard English as an exclusionary language of status and accept Singlish as the language of solidarity.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the contributions of as in as a pragmatic marker in the interpretation of utterances in Nigerian English usage and argue that as in in various ways and in diverse contexts signals the speaker's desire to get the hearer to recognize that a crucial aspect of his meaning is being communicated in the host utterance, and in the process encourages the heerer to arrive at that meaning with minimal processing effort.
Abstract: No previous accounts of discourse or pragmatic markers have considered the contributions of as in as a marker in utterance interpretation. Yet, this particle, although essentially a Nigerian English usage, shares the same features with some of the most commonly discussed markers such as, that is, in short, in other words, so, you know, I mean and so on. Drawing examples from spoken data, which are analysed within the framework of relevance theory, this paper describes the contributions of as in as a pragmatic marker in the interpretation of utterances in Nigerian English usage. As a pragmatic marker, as in encodes procedural meaning by constraining the inferential process in a way that maximizes relevance. Specifically, this paper argues that as in in various ways and in diverse contexts signals the speaker's desire to get the hearer to recognize that a crucial aspect of his meaning is being communicated in the host utterance, and in the process encourages the hearer to arrive at that meaning with minimal processing effort.
TL;DR: The authors argues that the major problems confronting phoneme delineation in NE include the lack of coordination in research efforts, indefinite criteria for varieties differentiation and a general crisis of modelling. But they also suggest that a proper coordination of research efforts is inevitable, and suggest that there are signs of an emerging national standard.
Abstract: Formorethanhalfacenturynow,discussionsonthedistinctivenessoftheEnglishlanguage in Nigeria have dominated many scholarly articles. Some of these articles have adequately proved that the grammatical and lexical systems have attained an appreciable standard, but it is doubtful if the same could be said of its phonology. For example, it has been suggested that it is arguable that Nigerian English (NE) variety has a standard phonology. This present paper demonstrates that several published sources on phonemicization in NE are generally discordant, and argues that the major problems confronting phoneme delineation in NE include the lack of coordination in research efforts, indefinite criteria for varieties differentiation and a general crisis of modelling. Pointing out that a proper coordination of research efforts is inevitable, the paper collates and surveys the various models on Standard NE phonemes provided by linguists, compares these with the model of standardized RP, and finally suggests that there are signs of an emerging national standard.
TL;DR: This article investigated the contact of English with other languages in Malaysia and raised three questions: given the large number of loan words in English and in Malaysian English, the first question is to what extent loans from Malay, Chinese and Indian languages are "known" and how knowledge stratifies in terms of ethnicity, religion, etc.
Abstract: Language contact touches on theoretical, descriptive and applied linguistics. Typically research into lexical contact outcomes tended to be accumulative, collecting contact effects, whether old or recent, on the assumption that they are all relevant today. Their currency or demise or, in the case of recent formations, their increasing currency and spread are under-researched. Such themes are crucial in multilingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious contexts such as Malaysia in South-East Asia where loan expressions can signal a developing over-arching ‘Malaysian English-ness’ or the existence of ethnic lines of division. This paper investigates the contact of English with other languages in Malaysia and raises three questions. Given the large number of loan words in English and in Malaysian English, the first question is to what extent loans from Malay, Chinese and Indian languages are ‘known’ and to what extent knowledge stratifies in terms of ethnicity, religion, etc. Findings might signal a trend towards an overarching, pan-ethnic general Malaysian English (MalE). Particularly interesting are expressions from Arabic that occur in a growing number and raise questions of inter-religious comprehension. The second question derives from a tentative classification of selected words into those that go back to the contact with European languages from the 15th century up to independence and those that have come into MalE since. The first category is considered ‘old’, the second ‘recent’. New words may signal a development towards endo-normativity. A third question that we hoped to find evidence for is whether age is a factor that interacts with findings to the other two questions. Though limited in scope, this study has wider applications to English, socio- and educational linguistics.
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of different legal cultures in arbitration, drawing on a comparative analysis of the discourse of professional reasoning in International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitral awards, is analyzed.
Abstract: The practice of international commercial arbitration draws together a diverse range of participants (arbitrators, counsel and parties), from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In the face of this diversity, there have been attempts to standardize and harmonize arbitration procedures by combining procedures from different legal traditions, yet the potential for intercultural communication difficulties remains. This paper evaluates the influence of different legal cultures in arbitration, drawing on a comparative analysis of the discourse of professional reasoning in International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitral awards, supported by interviews with stakeholders in arbitration, and professional guides on award writing. The findings show that reasoning is considered to be an important element of an arbitral award, in order to facilitate compliance with and enforcement of the award. Furthermore, cultural variation is evident in the awards, with different conventions adopted especially in the selection and integration of legal authority, and in the practice of code-switching observed. The study highlights the importance for arbitrators of developing intercultural communicative competence, in order to operate effectively in a multilingual and multicultural environment.
TL;DR: In Malaysia, the dominant legal system in Malaysia is based on adversarial common law as mentioned in this paper, where the usual constraints on courtroom discourse, institutionalised by de jurerules of speaking and reinforced by professional practice, are supplemented by a language policy, enshrined in the constitution, statutes and judicial directives, which requires the use of Malay while also allowing English where deemed in the interests of justice.
Abstract: Basedonextensiveobservationsofcourtroomproceedingsandmorelimitedobservationsof arbitration practice, this study compares how each system approaches language disadvantage. In Malaysian common law the usual constraints on courtroom discourse, institutionalised byde jurerules of speaking and reinforced by professional practice, are supplemented by a language policy, enshrined in the constitution, statutes and judicial directives, which requires the use of Malay while also allowing English where deemed in the interests of justice. The result is a bilingual system, with all other languages admissible only through interpretation. In the fast-growing alternative dispute sector, however, there are few hard and fast rules governing either code choice or discourse. With most Malaysian arbitrations involving commercial disputes, English is the dominant medium, but as in the courts, English-Malay code-switching is common. Ways of speaking are generally more relaxed than in the courts, but with a majority of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) advocates coming from common law, many discursive practices are carried over. While the more relaxed atmosphere of ADR seems to encourage freer discourse than in the courts, there are some indications that current practice may be underestimating the needs of participants who are less proficient in English. The stricter rules imposed on courtroom discourse may inhibit free discussion but they do reveal a high awareness of the problems of language disadvantage. GENERAL VIEW The dominant legal system in Malaysia is based on adversarial common law. It retains a central role for oral testimony and operates bilingually - in Malay, the national language, and English, the 'second most important language' admissible 'in the interests of justice'. Bilingualism is a feature of other Malaysian legal systems as well, including customary penghulucourts,manyofwhichfunctioninMalayandsomeotherAustronesianlanguages, and syariah courts, which use both Malay and Arabic. All these institutions exist within a wider context of multilingualism, with several Chinese, Indian and Bornean languages widely spoken. Thus, there is relatively high awareness of the problems of language disadvantage before the law. The courts provide support for the main languages through a system of court-based clerk-interpreters. For other languages, outside interpreters are hired, at public expense for criminal cases but at the litigants' expense in civil cases. Strict High Court Rules of Speaking give some structure to the way testimony is elicited, given and translated. In alternative dispute resolution (ADR), however, provisions for language support are much vaguer. The government and many in the legal community promote arbitration and mediation as quicker, cheaper, friendlier and more culturally appropriate than the imported adversarial way of resolving conflicts, and the rules of speaking and language choice in Malaysian ADR are consequently more flexible than in litigation. Data obtained so far
TL;DR: This paper explored the influences that the Izon language manifests in the syntax of the English of Izon (Nigerian) speakers and made a clear distinction between the influences which result in errors and those that result in permissible local variations.
Abstract: This study explores the influences that the Izon language manifests in the syntax of the English of Izon (Nigerian) speakers and makes a clear distinction between the influences that result in errors and those that result in permissible local variations, which indicates that the idea of treating all variations in the syntax of Nigerian English as errors is misleading. To achieve this, the various Izon influences reflected in the syntax of Nigerian English are grouped and subjected to a rigorous acceptability test based on appropriateness, grammaticality, intelligibility and widespread usage. The findings reveal that there are acceptable local variations among the departures caused by the influence of the Nigerian languages on the syntax of Nigerian English and, thus, it is wrong and misleading to condemn, as indeed many have often done, all the local Nigerian influences reflected in the syntax of Nigerian English as errors. Some of these local influences should, because of their appropriateness, grammaticality, intelligibility and widespread usage among educated people, especially in the Izon (Nigerian) setting, be accepted as variations, since the syntax of English in Nigeria's multilingual/multicultural setting is bound to show permissible local variation in use.
TL;DR: In this paper, a multiperspective analysis of interdiscursive aspects of witness examination practices from arbitration and litigation is presented, and some of the issues emerging from the hybrid nature of this legal practice may be seen as problematic in maintaining the integrity of arbitration practice as an alternative to litigation in international commercial contexts.
Abstract: International commercial arbitration offers an interesting site for the study of witness examination as an interdiscursive phenomenon across professional, jurisdictional, linguistic and cultural boundaries. It is contentious not only because it is shared across two rather distinct practices, namely, litigation and arbitration, bringing together international participants, particularly stakeholders who carry their individual baggage in the form of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, sometimes languages, as well as interdisciplinary expertise, but also because it is meant to integrate two distinct legal systems and cultures, namely, common law culture and the civil code culture. Drawing on a multiperspective analysis of interdiscursive aspects of witness examination practices from arbitration and litigation, an attempt will be made to identify and discuss some of the issues emerging from the hybrid nature of this legal practice, which may be seen as problematic in maintaining the integrity of arbitration practice as an alternative to litigation in international commercial contexts, though the paper is based on observations from trials conducted in English. The paper also reflects the Anglo-American domination of the legal discourse in arbitration discourse much like the Anglo-American or Inner Circle ideologies of standard language in world Englishes.
TL;DR: The authors examines various contexts in which definite and indefinite articles are used in Cameroon: specific and nonspecific reference, institutional and non-institutional meaning, count and noncount uses, among others.
Abstract: This study is concerned with the various uses of articles in certain non-standard dialects of British English and in Cameroon English (CamE). Variations in the use of definite and indefinite articles are dealt with. More specifically, the paper examines various contexts in which definite and indefinite articles are used in Cameroon: specific and non-specific reference, institutional and non-institutional meaning, count and noncount uses, among others. This paper is based on the observation that the influence of the British colonists, especially missionaries (many of whom were not always speakers of Standardized varieties of British English), on various CamE grammatical usages in general and article use in particular has so far been grossly under-researched. In fact, in some contexts, a sizable portion of educated CamE speakers use the articles in much the same way as speakers of certain non-standard dialects of the British Isles. One of the conclusions this paper arrives at is that the history of colonization and evangelization through mission schools might have played a major role in the transportation to, and transplantation into, the colonies (Cameroon in this case), of British non-standard dialects, many features of which eventually took root.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address an important problem in English pedagogy in one Outer Circle context, that of India, in that they investigate the match between the stated goals of English teaching in the policy documents and their implementation in actual curriculum, teaching and testing practices.
Abstract: This study addresses an important problem in English pedagogy in one Outer Circle context, that of India, in that it investigates the match between the stated goals of English teaching in the policy documents and their implementation in actual curriculum, teaching and testing practices. In order to achieve a better match, the study suggests more use of local sample texts in teaching materials. In turn, in order to test the acceptability of local norms, the study describes the results of testing the acceptability of a number of unique Indian English items by several groups of ‘educated’ Indian English users by means of a questionnaire.
TL;DR: The authors dealt with the local accent of Standard English spoken in Lerwick, the main town or capital in the Shetland Islands, in contrast to previous work which focused on the accent of standard English spoken on the islands.
Abstract: This paper deals with the local accent of Standard English spoken in Lerwick, the main town or capital in the Shetland Islands, in contrast to previous research on Shetland speech which focused on ...
TL;DR: The United Nations Com-mission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) as mentioned in this paper proposed a model law on international commercial arbitration, which was subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on21 June 1985, and was recommended for adoption as the UNCITRAL Model Law onInternational Commercial Arbitration.
Abstract: International commercial arbitration was originally proposed by the United Nations Com-mission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and was established by the UnitedNations General Assembly by its Resolution 2205 (XXI) of 17 December 1966 “to pro-mote the progressive harmonisation and unification of international trade law”. As partof their work, the commission prepared a model law on international commercial arbi-tration, which was subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on21 June 1985, and was recommended for adoption as the UNCITRAL Model Law onInternational Commercial Arbitration. Although the Model Law was not binding, the UNrecommended its adoption and incorporation into the domestic law of individual memberstates. International arbitration, in principle, was intended as alternative to litigation toresolve commercial disputes in cross-border contexts, which was also meant to lead to anintegration of processes and procedures across legal systems, cultures, linguistic choices,including world Englishes.Today, international arbitration is the most widely used alternative dispute resolutionmethod to resolve commercial disputes between parties. International commercial arbi-tration is considered a creature of party agreement as it crucially depends on the parties’agreement to resolve disputes through private adjudication by a single arbitrator, or atribunal of more than one, appointed in accordance with rules of a specific arbitrationinstitution that the parties themselves have agreed to adopt, usually by including an arbi-tration clause in their contract. The practice of international arbitration has developed in amanner to allow parties from different legal and cultural backgrounds to use any varietyof English or other language to resolve their disputes without any interference from thesystem of courts.Inarbitration,partiesortheirrepresentatives,oftenlegalcounsels,presentadisputetoanimpartial single arbitrator or an arbitration tribunal consisting of more than one arbitrator,oftenthreeoranotheroddnumberdependingonthenature,extentandsizeofthedisputetoresolveitandorderadecision,whichislikealegaljudgment,butinarbitrationisknownasanaward.Unlikeotherformsofalternativedisputeresolution(ADR),namely,conciliationandmediation,whichdonotsuggestorimposeanyspecificdecisiontoresolvethedispute,arbitration is meant to issue a decision or award which is binding for the disputing parties,which means it is generally non-appealable in a court of law. In arbitration, the parties