In its earliest days English was no more than a local language barely known outside of a small corner of Europe, while in the last two to three centuries it has become a highly influential global language. This module explores the ways in which English has become a world language and the role the different varieties of English now play in the modern world. The practical implications of the status of English for teachers and students in both ESL and EFL contexts will be investigated.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
Students who complete the course successfully should be able to:
Subject Content:
Academic and Graduate Skills:
Course content by week
Week 1 Introduction, Global English trends
We will discuss the main challenges facing the most popular lingua franca and fastest changing language today. The session is also a general module introduction.
Week 2 Defining World English
• historical and cultural context of the spread of English
• What does the notion of World Englishes signify?
• Why has English and not any other language assumed a dominant linguistic role in the contemporary world?
Week 3 Standard and variety
• standardization in the history of English
• processes that promote uniformity in language use
• Standard English and intelligibility in English use across cultures
Week 4 Teaching English as an international language
• pedagogical implications of the spread of English
• teaching an international language
• mutual intelligibility
• attitudes towards varieties of English
Week 5 English and the non-native English teacher
• Native and non-native speaker teachers (NNT)
• native speaker teachers
• controversies around the term ‘native’
• Communicative Language Teaching and NNT teachers and students
Week 6 Language and identity
• Identity as multiple and subject to change
• target language identity vs first language identity
• teacher identity and language
Week 7 Language and culture
• What is culture?
• Culture in language teaching
• boundary of two (or more) cultures
• ‘third place’ created in the classroom
Week 8 Language planning and language policy
• language policy and planning. Issues relating to educational policies
• English medium education (EME)
• Equality in EME
• standards and varieties in EME
Week 9 Decolonising teaching English
• Racialised and marginalised Englishes
• Approaches to decolonising teaching English
• Can English be neutral?
Week 10 English around the world: Student presentations
• Groups of students select a country in which they are interested
• growth of English in that country?
• English teaching policy?
• Which English is taught?
• Controversies, issues?
Week 11 Assignment workshop
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
None
The summative assessment for this module is a 3,500 word essay.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
You will receive feedback in a range of ways throughout this module. This will include oral feedback in class, responses to posts on the VLE discussion board and written comments on work. You will have the chance to obtain feedback on your writing during the module, and you will have a short one-to-one meeting with a module tutor to discuss assessments.
You will be provided physical written feedback on assignment report sheets as well as them being readily available on the VLE. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information
Required readings are available by accessing key texts through the module reading list