Some reflections on the impact of globalization in the teaching and learning of English in socalled ���expanding circle��� countries

This article deals with the ongoing debate on the complex role of English as an International Language, be it understood as a homogeneous entity (one language with an international role [EIL]) or a heterogeneous one (different varieties (WE or ELF) grouped under one label, ��English��) as well as on the implications of this ��globalising�� status for its teaching in non-native settings. Given the complexity of this phenomenon, whose study is still in its infancy, we attempt neither to provide definitive answers nor adopt a prescriptive attitude, but simply contribute to the discussion and clarification of this, to some extent, emergent, controversial situation.

���Neutral, native-like or authentic��� : Investigating attitudes and beliefs of expanding circle speakers of English

The status of English as the language of international communication is by now well-established. However, in the past 16 years, research has tried to emphasize the fact that the English spoken in international contact situations and between people with other first languages than English has different needs than the English spoken locally amongst native speakers, resulting in the emergence of English as a lingua franca (ELF) as a scholarly field. However, the impact of findings in ELF has so far only led to a moderate shift in English language teaching. Especially in expanding circle countries, where ELF should have the biggest impact, change is only gradually becoming palpable. Accent and pronunciation, as one of the biggest factors on both identity and mutual intelligibility (Jenkins 2000; 2007) are at the root of discussion. The scope of this study is therefore to examine accent choices and the extent to which native speaker ideology informs the preferences of ten speakers of ELF and 27 German natives with experience in international communication. Both ethnographical and sociolinguistic methods, as well as auditory analysis have been applied and conducted. The auditory analysis of six variables in the recorded speech production of the ten speakers suggests that there is no significant preference of one norm-giving variety over the other. Rather, speakers tend to mix-and-match General American- and Standard Southern British English-like features in their pronunciation. When reporting their accent ideals, the idea of a ���neutral��� English accent is mentioned by four participants. Neutral accents seem to have been understood as ���unmarked accents���. Expressed beliefs on their own English pronunciation show a comparatively high level of reflection on and confidence in their own production. Results from a rating task and a survey given to 27 German participants reveal attitudes that are more negatively stacked. While Germans reported openness towards NNS (non-native speaker) accents and showed awareness of the priority of intelligibility over accent choice in both their own and others��� pronunciation, they still largely reported NS accent preference. The ratings of the production from ten ELF speakers confirmed this and showed that ���neutral��� is equated with native-like. In the light of these findings, issues are discussed that ultimately relate to the influence of NS Englishes, identity and the development of English as an international language.

Ingl��s como L��ngua Franca N��o �� Zona Neutra, �� Zona Transcultural de Poder: Por Uma Descoloniza����o de Concep����es, Pr��ticas e Atitudes

O objetivo do artigo �� discutir a condi����o do ingl��s como l��ngua franca (ILF) na contemporaneidade, demonstrando que o seu avan��o pelo mundo �� um fen��meno��sui generis, de car��ter transcultural e que transcende a concep����o tradicional de l��ngua franca (OSTLER, 2010; MAURANEN, 2018). Em di��logo com os estudos de descolonialidade (QUIJANO, 2007; MIGNOLO, 2010), translinguismo (CANAGARAJAH, 2013; GARC��A; WEI, 2014) e a partir das implica����es pol��tico-pedag��gicas das pesquisas em ILF (SEIDLHOFER, 2011; COGO, 2015), defende-se aqui um processo de descoloniza����o de cren��as, atitudes, premissas e m��todos nos mais diversos n��veis, visando, entre outros aspectos, �� des(re)constru����o de discursos e pr��ticas daqueles envolvidos diretamente com o ensino do idioma.

Review of recent research (1998-2012) in German for Academic Purposes (GAP) in comparison with English for Academic Purposes (EAP): cross-influences, synergies and implications for further research

This state-of-the-art review reports on the major studies conducted in the field of Deutsch als Wissenschaftssprache (academic German) since the late 1990s. To begin with, the current position of German as a language of academic communication nationally and internationally will be discussed, focusing especially on the challenges posed by the status of English as a lingua franca. Subsequently, the major research undertaken since the late 1990s will be reviewed and its contribution to the development of teaching materials evaluated. Since studies on academic German have been influenced, to some extent, by research in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), this paper also attempts to dovetail developments in EAP in order to highlight commonalties and differences. The final sections will discuss some potential synergies and implications for further research in both fields.

Bitext alignment: building and evaluating a bilingual corpus and translation memory of academic course descriptions

Following the internationalization of contemporary higher education, academic institutions based in non-English speaking countries are increasingly urged to produce contents in English to address international prospective students and personnel, as well as to increase their attractiveness. The demand for English translations in the institutional academic domain is consequently increasing at a rate exceeding the capacity of the translation profession. Resources for assisting non-native authors and translators in the production of appropriate texts in L2 are therefore required in order to help academic institutions and professionals streamline their translation workload. Some of these resources include: (i) parallel corpora to train machine translation systems and multilingual authoring tools; and (ii) translation memories for computer-aided tools. The purpose of this study is to create and evaluate reference resources like the ones mentioned in (i) and (ii) through the automatic sentence alignment of a large set of Italian and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) institutional academic texts given as equivalent but not necessarily parallel (i.e. translated). In this framework, a set of aligning algorithms and alignment tools is examined in order to identify the most profitable one(s) in terms of accuracy and time- and cost-effectiveness. In order to determine the text pairs to align, a sample is selected according to document length similarity (characters) and subsequently evaluated in terms of extent of noisiness/parallelism, alignment accuracy and content leverageability. The results of these analyses serve as the basis for the creation of an aligned bilingual corpus of academic course descriptions, which is eventually used to create a translation memory in TMX format.

Una lingua per l'Europa: possibili alternative al multilinguismo

Parlando della questione linguistica in Europa, viene svolta un'analisi in tre parti. La prima parte tratta storicamente del multilinguismo europeo e del concetto di lingua franca; la seconda presenta quindi le possibili soluzioni finora emerse, concentrandosi sull'utilizzo della lingua Inglese in ambito internazionale. Infine, sono illustrate altre possibilit��, suddividendo il discorso in ulteriori tre parti: la prima riguarda l'utilizzo di una lingua naturale come lingua franca; la seconda espone alcuni progetti per semplificare lingue gi�� esistenti; per ultimo, si offre una panoramica sulle lingue artificiali.

International conference paper presentations: A multimodal analysis to determine effectiveness

International conference presentations represent one of the biggest challenges for academics using English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). This paper aims to initiate exploration into the multimodal academic discourse of oral presentations, including the verbal, written, non-verbal material (NVM) and body language modes. It offers a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) and multimodal framework of presentations to enhance mixed-disciplinary ELF academics' awareness of what needs to be taken into account to communicate effectively at conferences. The model is also used to establish evaluation criteria for the presenters' talks and to carry out a multimodal discourse analysis of four well-rated 20-min talks, two from the technical sciences and two from the social sciences in a workshop scenario. The findings from the analysis and interviews indicate that: (a) a greater awareness of the mode affordances and their combinations can lead to improved performances; (b) higher reliance on the visual modes can compensate for verbal deficiencies; and (c) effective speakers tend to use a variety of modes that often overlap but work together to convey specific meanings. However, firm conclusions cannot be drawn on the basis of workshop presentations, and further studies on the multimodal analysis of ���real conferences��� within specific disciplines are encouraged.

English as the medium of instruction: a response to internationalization

The status of English as a lingua franca has led European universities to implement the use of this language as a medium of instruction (EMI). This study presents an analysis of the status quo of EMI at the University of Alicante. It takes into account the institution`s language policy and the programs which offer subjects in English, as well as the challenges, needs and benefits of the professors and students. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected by means of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings of this needs analysis will help us to create an action plan that will include teacher and student training schemes to foster internationalization.

English in a global voluntary work context:a case study of spoken interaction and its implications for language pedagogy

This study analyses a sample of spoken interaction between a Japanese volunteer working for JICA (Japan International Co-operation Agency) and one of her co-workers in Jamaica. Details of the research context are provided, followed by a theoretical grounding of the project, which relates to publications in English as a Lingua Franca and related fields. In terms of methodology and epistemology, the research aligns with discourse analysis, specifically linguistic ethnography and interactional sociolinguistics. After presenting an an analysis of the spoken interaction based on these approaches, the resulting implications for language pedagogy are considered. This includes recommendations for specific aspects of language teaching and testing practice based on the research findings, which could be incorporated into a needs-driven localized pedagogy for future Japanese volunteers. These findings also carry significant implications for other contexts of language education, not only in terms of specific pedagogical practices but also regarding broader conceptions of language and communication.

Going Beyond the obvious in English for Legal Purposes

This paper deals with some of the problems and implications of Legal English being used as a lingua franca, especially when teaching legal English in courses for judges in various European contexts.

Enhancing Chinese TEFL academics' research performance : necessity and urgency

China���s increasing participation in world affairs and the growing popularity of English as a lingua franca have made significant impact on Chinese society, culture and education. As such, considerable research topics in relation to English require TEFL researchers��� attentions. Additionally, higher education reform in China has created higher demand on academics by stressing research as an important element in academics��� assessment. Recurrent rhetoric in the field of TEFL also calls on practitioners to theorise their practice. All these practical needs and theoretical arguments point to the necessity and significance of TEFL academics��� engagement in research. To find out whether Chinese TEFL academics��� research meet the new demand on them, a survey of TEFL academics at three Chinese higher institutions was conducted. One hundred eighty two of them provided valid responses which were analysed using SPSS. It was found that TEFL academics��� research productivity in each category of research products was quite low. Large percentages of them did not produce any item in the investigated categories of research. They were least productive in conference papers and research products at the national level. However for these least productive categories, there were highly-productive TEFL academics. The categories of research where the TEFL academics were found relatively productive were non-core journal articles and provincial projects. The findings suggest that it is necessary and urgent for Chinese TEFL academics to enhance their research productivity to be able to meet the demand that new era has rendered.

Teaching pragmatics in an EFL context: Implications for coursebook design, teaching and learning

This case study examined the use of global English language teaching coursebooks by five teachers to teach English language use to students in Thailand where English is a foreign language. Despite the complexities of English language use in Thailand, the coursebook and teachers emphasised sets of decontextualised linguistic structures to teach speaking and conversation. The students interpreted and applied the structures in different ways with varied awareness of the effects of their linguistic choices. Teachers were constrained by the coursebook, their understandings of culture, and knowledge of how to teach pragmatics highlighting implications for teacher education and coursebook design.

Estrutura Conceptual do Relato Financeiro : Da Defini����o de um Dom��nio �� Sua An��lise para uma Sociedade em Rede

Considerando a l��ngua como um produto da sociedade, mas tamb��m como um meio fundamental para o estabelecimento de rela����es entre os homens, procuramos perceber o seu lugar na sociedade globalizada, com o objectivo de desenvolver uma metodologia de an��lise terminol��gica que contribua para uma maior qualidade da comunica����o especializada na sociedade em rede. Este trabalho est�� organizado em duas partes, sendo a primeira dedicada �� reflex��o sobre o papel da l��ngua na sociedade em rede, focando quest��es essenciais em torno da tens��o existente entre o multilinguismo e a hegemonia do ingl��s enquanto lingua franca, sobretudo no espa��o europeu. Interessa-nos, por um lado, reflectir sobre a defini����o de pol��ticas lingu��sticas, concretamente na Europa multilingue dos 28, e, por outro, salientar o papel preponderante que a l��ngua tem na transmiss��o do conhecimento. A segunda parte deste trabalho concretiza a investiga����o efectuada na primeira com base na an��lise do relato financeiro, um dom��nio do saber que n��o s�� �� inerentemente multilingue �� porque a sua aplica����o �� transnacional �� mas tamb��m reflecte a tens��o identificada na primeira parte, na medida em que o ingl��s assume, no mundo dos neg��cios em geral e nos mercados financeiros em particular, o papel hegem��nico de lingua franca. A abordagem terminol��gica que defendemos �� semasiol��gica para fins onomasiol��gicos, pelo que partimos da an��lise do texto de especialidade, organizado em corpora de especialidade. Discutimos subsequentemente os resultados da nossa an��lise com os especialistas que os ir��o validar e cuja colabora����o em diversos vi momentos do processo de an��lise terminol��gica e conceptual �� fundamental para garantir a qualidade dos recursos terminol��gicos produzidos. Nesta ��ptica, exploramos um corpus de textos legislativos no ��mbito do Sistema de Normaliza����o Contabil��stica (SNC), de modo a delinearmos uma metodologia de trabalho que, no futuro, conduzir�� �� constru����o de uma base de dados terminol��gica do relato financeiro. Concomitantemente, efectuamos tamb��m um estudo sobre a Estrutura Conceptual do SNC, para o qual elaboramos uma compara����o ao n��vel da tradu����o especializada no relato financeiro, com base num corpus paralelo composto pela legisla����o contabil��stica internacional endossada pela Uni��o Europeia. Utilizamos o corpus paralelo constitu��do por textos redigidos originalmente em ingl��s e traduzidos para portugu��s, em articula����o com o corpus de especialidade criado com a legisla����o relativa ao normativo contabil��stico portugu��s, para testar uma metodologia de extrac����o de equivalentes. Defendemos, por fim, que a harmoniza����o no relato financeiro para al��m de se reger por pol��ticas contabil��sticas comuns, deve ter subjacentes quest��es terminol��gicas. �� necess��rio, portanto, harmonizar a terminologia do relato financeiro, possibilitando aos especialistas uma comunica����o em portugu��s isenta da interfer��ncia do ingl��s herdado das normas internacionais, atrav��s dos dois processos que identificamos: a tradu����o e a adapta����o das Normas Internacionais de Contabilidade.

Ellipsis as a marker of interaction in spoken discourse

In this article, we discuss strategies for interaction in spoken discourse, focusing on ellipsis phenomena in English. The data comes from the VOICE corpus of English as a Lingua Franca, and we analyse education data in the form of seminar and workshop discussions, working group meetings, interviews and conversations. The functions ellipsis carries in the data are Intersubjectivity, where participants develop and maintain an understanding in discourse; Continuers, which are examples of back channel support; Correction, both self- and other-initiated; Repetition; and Comments, which are similar to Continuers but do not have a back channel support function. We see that the first of these, Intersubjectivity, is by far the most popular, followed by Repetitions and Comments. These results are explained as consequences of the nature of the texts themselves, as some are discussions of presentations and so can be expected to contain many Repetitions, for example. The speech event is also an important factor, as events with asymmetrical power relations like interviews do not contain so many Continuers. Our clear conclusion is that the use of ellipsis is a strong marker of interaction in spoken discourse.