Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-209). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Victoria University of Wellington, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study is an attempt to discuss and reflect over which cultures that are present in the reading material in the English language education in the years four to six at in a school outside of Malmö. The concept of culture is discussed from an educational perspective. The cultures present in the learners reading material and the teachers perspective on foreign cultures is also discoursed. Relevant previous research is highlighted and used to examine the collected material. The data is collected from interviews with three middle school teachers and from an analysis of the reading material that is used in the English education. The results reveal that British or American culture is heavily over-represented. The three teacher’s education is based almost solely on the textbook and therefore the textbook is given great mandate on which cultures that are present in the classroom. The results led to the argumentation that the English education in Sweden ought to be challenged. The endonormative perspective that places a clear emphasize on the native speaking norm, and revolves around inner circle cultures in the English classroom does not suffice as a foundation for our young learners. To solely focus on an English or American context will not prepare our pupils for the global challenges that lies ahead. English as an international language is spoken in all the corners of the world and all these corners ought to be invited into our classroom.

This study is investigating how English as an international language is represented in textbooks of institutionalised second language learning at upper secondary high schools in Germany and Sweden, as well as if and how these representations differ. The method to be used in this essay is a textbook analysis, in which the frequency of references to Inner, Outer and Expanding Circle countries (see Kachru’s (1992) concentric model of World Englishes) is measured. It is thus a comparative study between German and Swedish textbooks, with focus on upper secondary schools and on the representation of English as an international language. The aim of this study is to investigate whether textbooks in the EFL classroom in Swedish and German upper secondary schools present English as an international language.

No description available.

No description available.

abstract: This study investigates how the teaching English as an international language (TEIL) framework can be integrated into the English curriculum of the Korea Military Academy (KMA). Addressing the research gap on TEIL and military settings, this study first critically reviews issues around the varieties of English (i.e., world Englishes), the international functions of English, and the pedagogical implications of TEIL in today’s globalizing world. The study then examines current challenges and objectives of ELT and suggests practical strategies for incorporating TEIL into the English curriculum of the KMA. The study suggests the following four strategies to apply TEIL into the English curriculum of the KMA: (a) introduce WE/EIL activities into the English Conversation course; (b) establish a WE/EIL course; (c) provide extracurricular WE/EIL activities; and (d) incorporate intercultural content into the Military English course. The study argues that implementing these suggestions would help cadets develop both their linguistic proficiency in English and intercultural communicative competence that are essential for them to become professional military communicators who can effectively communicate with interlocutors from diverse linguistic, cultural, and national backgrounds in international military contexts. While the study contributes to the literature by bridging the gap between TEIL and military contexts, it demonstrates the following implications: (a) a meaningful case of applying TEIL into the military context in Korea; (b) the importance of both linguistic proficiency in English and intercultural competence for ELT in the KMA; and (c) the possibility of influencing the Korea Air Force and Naval Academy to reexamine their English curricula. The study concludes that the English curriculum of the KMA should be revised based on the recognition of the symbiotic relationship among linguistic proficiency in English, exposure to diverse varieties of English, and intercultural competence in order to produce cadets who can effectively communicate in English as a military lingua franca for the success of their designated military objectives in the future. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis English 2019

Taking a social constructionist perspective, this dissertation explores politeness-as-practice (Eelen, 2001) of L2 English speakers in intercultural communication encounters. The study is situated within the English as an International Language (EIL) paradigm which suggests that pragmatic norms in interaction between EIL speakers are dynamic and flexible, and therefore, instead of measuring EIL speakers' success in interaction against a "native-speaker" norm, the research should focus on how speakers themselves define and (co-)construct pragmatic norms and successful interaction (e.g., House, 2003a; McKay, 2009). The view of politeness taken in this study is based on postmodern approaches to politeness, which submit that politeness is dynamic and that the politeness meanings of particular strategies, utterances, and linguistic forms are assigned to them by participants within an interaction. Data were collected through background questionnaires, written questionnaires in the form of critical incidents, and semi-structured informal interviews. The data were analyzed qualitatively, relying primarily on discourse analysis complemented by the theories of "third place", facework, and politeness. The results of this study offer insights into the nature of pragmatic competence in EIL, the processes of the development of such competence, and challenges that L2 English speakers face in this process. Specifically, this study investigates how L2 speakers of English conceptualize politeness, the hybrid and dynamic nature of their pragmatic competence in general and politeness-in-practice in particular, and the interrelationship between politeness and other factors that determine the speakers' pragmatic choices in situations that have potential for misunderstanding, conflict, and face loss. This dissertation contributes to the theory and research in the fields of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), EIL, Intercultural Communication, Interlanguage Pragmatics and Politeness by providing insights into the pragmatic competence and politeness of L2 English speakers. This work deepens the body of scholarship in these fields in that it provides the speakers' own perspectives on the processes of their pragmatic competence development and their concepts of politeness. It is also hoped that insights provided by this study will benefit English language teachers who aim to develop intercultural communicative competence in their classrooms.

Informed by, and seeking to contribute to, discussions about appropriate methodology (e.g. Holliday, 1994), my study as reported in this thesis was concerned with appropriacy of paradigms in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It explored practitioner perspectives in Thai higher education (HE) in this era when English has become 'the' main international language for intercultural communication (IC). This linkage between English as an international language (EIL) and IC is evident in the strategy of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - of which Thailand was a founding member in 1967 - for greater economic, cultural and socio-political integration among its members. For practitioners like me, this regional strategic move in conjunction with Thai policies and curricular documentation raises questions about the appropriacy of the established practices of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in Thailand. My multi-method qualitative case study addressed such questions by exploring the perspectives of three Thai-national teachers of English working in a Thai public university regarding the purposes of, and assumptions underpinning, their teaching of English. As informed by an understanding of their perspectives, I then considered the possible influences which might have shaped these perspectives. The study identified the teachers' main purposes to be short-term, instrumental ones - i.e. for academic study and examination preparation purposes. As such, they tended not to attach much value to the teaching of the cultural dimension (i.e. the target culture of native English speakers [NESs], the students' home cultures and other cultures) or intercultural dimension (i.e. knowledge, skills and mindset needed for engaging people from differing cultural backgrounds). These purposes were underpinned by assumptions they held about the NES linguistic norms as testable norms in TEFL and Teaching English for Academic Purposes (TEAP). The teachers seemed unfamiliar with alternative paradigms - such as Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL) - that might align top-level policy statements and actual classroom practices. This unfamiliarity suggests the inadequacy of the teachers' educational and professional development experiences. The influences from their institution such as exams-oriented and English-medium academic agendas also had repercussions for the teachers' perspectives. Stepping back from the teachers' perspectives, my study suggested discourse inconsistencies across Thai HE regarding paradigms and purposes of TESOL. This situation is unhelpful vis-à-vis the ASEAN foregrounding of EIL for IC, and the consequent need, through TESOL, to prepare Thai students to engage in IC with people within and beyond ASEAN. My study has implications for a direction of change for TESOL in the Thai HE and possibly for similar contexts elsewhere. It offers some suggestions about teacher education that can be supportive of reorienting TESOL towards appropriate and purposeful paradigms.

Submitted by Suelen Reis (suziy.ellen@gmail.com) on 2013-05-14T18:02:38Z No. of bitstreams: 3 Tese Domingos Siqueira3.pdf: 1190041 bytes, checksum: d61f4bb0222fae13ca0250209379da8a (MD5) Tese Domingos Siqueira2.pdf: 400677 bytes, checksum: 2022376f38d859e5c7990a28ace8de43 (MD5) Tese Domingos Siqueira1.pdf: 1703800 bytes, checksum: 1a3e63c846a0a706bfa3d1e1070d9875 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Alda Lima da Silva(sivalda@ufba.br) on 2013-06-04T17:24:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 3 Tese Domingos Siqueira3.pdf: 1190041 bytes, checksum: d61f4bb0222fae13ca0250209379da8a (MD5) Tese Domingos Siqueira2.pdf: 400677 bytes, checksum: 2022376f38d859e5c7990a28ace8de43 (MD5) Tese Domingos Siqueira1.pdf: 1703800 bytes, checksum: 1a3e63c846a0a706bfa3d1e1070d9875 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-04T17:24:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 Tese Domingos Siqueira3.pdf: 1190041 bytes, checksum: d61f4bb0222fae13ca0250209379da8a (MD5) Tese Domingos Siqueira2.pdf: 400677 bytes, checksum: 2022376f38d859e5c7990a28ace8de43 (MD5) Tese Domingos Siqueira1.pdf: 1703800 bytes, checksum: 1a3e63c846a0a706bfa3d1e1070d9875 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Tomando como ponto de partida crenças, valores, reflexões, concepções e expectativas de professores de língua inglesa de três realidades educacionais de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil, sem deixar de levar em consideração as vantagens competitivas e as adversidades inerentes a cada contexto específico, esta pesquisa qualitativa de cunho etnográfico tem como objetivo principal investigar como o docente de inglês, atuando em um país do chamado ‘círculo em expansão’ do avanço do inglês (KACHRU, 1985), se percebe, até que ponto ele/ela está consciente das questões relacionadas ao ensino de inglês como língua internacional (ILI) e se sua prática reflete aquilo em que acredita. Além disso, tenta-se discutir, a partir de observações de aulas, posturas pedagógicas mais apropriadas ao ensino de inglês como LI em Salvador, chamando a atenção para os desafios que a adoção das mesmas representa para o professor contemporâneo. Numa primeira instância, estabeleceu-se um construto teórico ancorado em quatro pilares: (1) o contexto de inglês como língua internacional e as implicações pedagógicas para as diferentes realidades, (2) a relação língua e cultura e sua relevância no ensino de ILI, (3) a competência intercultural do professor como elemento fundamental nesse processo e (4) a adoção de uma pedagogia crítica de ensino de ILI, visando a uma ação político-social de cunho ideológico, reflexivo e transformador. O grupo de informantes constou de 15 (quinze) professores de inglês selecionados nos três segmentos, sendo que 5 (cinco) de cursos livres, 5 (cinco) de escolas públicas federais, estaduais e municipais e 5 (cinco) de instituições de ensino superior. Os dados foram coletados a partir de um questionário de pesquisa com 35 (trinta e cinco) perguntas, em grande parte, abertas, registros etnográficos de duas aulas de cada professor e gravações em vídeo de duas entrevistas coletivas do tipo livre-narrativa, onde foram discutidos os temas do construto teórico, além de outros voltados para as práticas pedagógicas e experiências dos participantes à luz de cada realidade. Os resultados e as constatações mostraram-se úteis e relevantes não só para a discussão de implicações metodológicas e político-ideológicas inerentes ao ensino de ILI na atualidade, mas, em especial, para a reflexão sobre pontos que possam contribuir para a (re)construção de um perfil mais adequado do professor de inglês como língua internacional em nosso contexto. / Salvador