Taalvaardigheid en cultuur 2
1. Views on the profession
1.1. Different kinds of English
1.1.1. Standard vs. dialect
Standard English:
-
Created during the Middle Ages when independent kingdoms became
one country or nation; need for a common language to communicate.
- Created by
o Civil service writers
o Authors e.g. Chaucer
Father of English literature; Canterbury Tales
Was the first to write literature in English instead of Latin or
French
o Translation of the Bible
The Bible was a book that was widely used by many people
but was first only available in Latin. The translation into
English spread the language more widely and consistently;
more people read in English. They had to make certain
linguistic choices that were the basis of standard English.
- Mostly used in written form; people speak other variants at home
- Language was officialised (went form a dialect to an official language) by:
o Dr.’s Johnson’s Dictionary
o Murray’s and Lowth’s grammar
o Walker’s pronunciation Dictionary
- Was influenced by the American revolution
o The new nation needed its own language; they moved away from
the British standard and created their own standard = American
English
This opened the floodgates resulting in other countries creating their
own version to express their identity
- There was a shift from a notion of correctness to a notion of
appropriateness when it comes to using standard English
o 18th century (correctness): If you didn’t speak Standard English, you
were punished
o These days (appropriateness): You need to know when to use the
standard and when it is okay to use a non-standard
“A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.” (Weinrich)
An official country has an army and a navy; a language is an officialised
dialect.
The army and navy of a language are the dictionaries, spelling guides, etc.
,1.1.2. The importance of this for teachers of English
We need to teach one variety of English but we need to make the students aware
of the complicated situation with global English; there are more varieties of
English in different regions
Examples:
- British
- American
- Australian
- Canadian
- New Zealand
- South African
These differ in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and strategy of discourse
Times have changed over the last couple of decades; it used to be American vs.
British English, but there are many more varieties right now.
1.1.3. Texts – comprehension questions
Text 1: Teachers of English
- The majority of English speakers are non-native speakers
- The majority of conversations in English are between non-native speakers
o English is used all over the world as a common language between
people from different countries needing to communicate with each
other.
o There are more people that speak English as their second or third
language.
- “English has become a family of languages.”
o Mass migration and increased human mobility around the globe has
caused English to diversify
o When English enters a country, they reshape and localise it by
adding local characteristics and retouches, making it more fitting for
them
A lot of new Englishes have arose in the world; English isn’t just one
language anymore; it is a family of different kinds.
- (Trainee-)teachers should address ‘the problem’ of global Englishes
o They need to know in what position English is in today’s world
o They need to equip students with additional knowledge of other
varieties of Englishes and with the competence to communicate with
speakers of other Englishes
Text 2: English as a lingua franca
- ELF = English as a lingua franca
o A way of referring to communication in English between speakers
with different first languages
o Most interactions take place between non-native speakers
- The usage of English as a global language has led to a paradoxical
situation
, o On the one hand: For the majority of its users, English is a foreign
language, and the vast majority of verbal exchanges in English do
not involve any native speakers of the language at all
o On the other hand: We tend to regard native speakers as examples
of what is acceptable in terms of English usage
- Two typical English language features do not stand in the way of
intelligibility (= verstaanbaarheid) when using ELF
o Th-sound, /u/, /D/ and the dark l allophone are not necessary for
international intelligibility
o Not using the third person singular present tense ‘-s’ marking in
verbs, does not lead to any misunderstandings
Text 3: Dealing with diversity
- “Native speakers, whether they are communicating with fellow native
speakers or with anyone else, are also focusing on mutual comprehension
rather than on a standard norm.”
o The main goal is comprehension both among native speakers and
between native and non-native speakers
o They prioritise this over strictly following grammar or languages
rules.
- Teachers are faced with an impossible task: “They need to square the
circle”
o With limited time, institutional constraints of syllabus and
examinations, they are additionally expected to raise awareness of
the reality of the variability which their students will face, if ever
they have to use English internationally
o The best they can do is teach them: although they are learning a
standard variety of English, they will inevitably meet many other
varieties in the outside world
o They can do this by:
Exposing them to some of these varieties in comprehension
mode, making it clear that they are not learning to produce
such varieties
Introducing some strategies for dealing with situations where
comprehension is not immediately transparent
- Teachers need to teach diversity to make students aware of other varieties
of English; they need to know that there are more kinds of Englishes other
than the one that they are learning. They also need to teach them how to
deal with this diversity by creating a tolerance for differences and having
positive attitude towards these differences or diversity.
o That’s the key to surviving in the world outside the classroom
Text 4: But teacher, English here is different, right?
- Braj Kachru’s circles of world Englishes
o Inner circle: traditional bases of English; dominated by the mother
tongue varieties of the language
Great Britain, United States and Australia
o Outer circle: countries in which English is not the first language but
where English played an important role in education, business
affairs, and culture.
1. Views on the profession
1.1. Different kinds of English
1.1.1. Standard vs. dialect
Standard English:
-
Created during the Middle Ages when independent kingdoms became
one country or nation; need for a common language to communicate.
- Created by
o Civil service writers
o Authors e.g. Chaucer
Father of English literature; Canterbury Tales
Was the first to write literature in English instead of Latin or
French
o Translation of the Bible
The Bible was a book that was widely used by many people
but was first only available in Latin. The translation into
English spread the language more widely and consistently;
more people read in English. They had to make certain
linguistic choices that were the basis of standard English.
- Mostly used in written form; people speak other variants at home
- Language was officialised (went form a dialect to an official language) by:
o Dr.’s Johnson’s Dictionary
o Murray’s and Lowth’s grammar
o Walker’s pronunciation Dictionary
- Was influenced by the American revolution
o The new nation needed its own language; they moved away from
the British standard and created their own standard = American
English
This opened the floodgates resulting in other countries creating their
own version to express their identity
- There was a shift from a notion of correctness to a notion of
appropriateness when it comes to using standard English
o 18th century (correctness): If you didn’t speak Standard English, you
were punished
o These days (appropriateness): You need to know when to use the
standard and when it is okay to use a non-standard
“A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.” (Weinrich)
An official country has an army and a navy; a language is an officialised
dialect.
The army and navy of a language are the dictionaries, spelling guides, etc.
,1.1.2. The importance of this for teachers of English
We need to teach one variety of English but we need to make the students aware
of the complicated situation with global English; there are more varieties of
English in different regions
Examples:
- British
- American
- Australian
- Canadian
- New Zealand
- South African
These differ in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and strategy of discourse
Times have changed over the last couple of decades; it used to be American vs.
British English, but there are many more varieties right now.
1.1.3. Texts – comprehension questions
Text 1: Teachers of English
- The majority of English speakers are non-native speakers
- The majority of conversations in English are between non-native speakers
o English is used all over the world as a common language between
people from different countries needing to communicate with each
other.
o There are more people that speak English as their second or third
language.
- “English has become a family of languages.”
o Mass migration and increased human mobility around the globe has
caused English to diversify
o When English enters a country, they reshape and localise it by
adding local characteristics and retouches, making it more fitting for
them
A lot of new Englishes have arose in the world; English isn’t just one
language anymore; it is a family of different kinds.
- (Trainee-)teachers should address ‘the problem’ of global Englishes
o They need to know in what position English is in today’s world
o They need to equip students with additional knowledge of other
varieties of Englishes and with the competence to communicate with
speakers of other Englishes
Text 2: English as a lingua franca
- ELF = English as a lingua franca
o A way of referring to communication in English between speakers
with different first languages
o Most interactions take place between non-native speakers
- The usage of English as a global language has led to a paradoxical
situation
, o On the one hand: For the majority of its users, English is a foreign
language, and the vast majority of verbal exchanges in English do
not involve any native speakers of the language at all
o On the other hand: We tend to regard native speakers as examples
of what is acceptable in terms of English usage
- Two typical English language features do not stand in the way of
intelligibility (= verstaanbaarheid) when using ELF
o Th-sound, /u/, /D/ and the dark l allophone are not necessary for
international intelligibility
o Not using the third person singular present tense ‘-s’ marking in
verbs, does not lead to any misunderstandings
Text 3: Dealing with diversity
- “Native speakers, whether they are communicating with fellow native
speakers or with anyone else, are also focusing on mutual comprehension
rather than on a standard norm.”
o The main goal is comprehension both among native speakers and
between native and non-native speakers
o They prioritise this over strictly following grammar or languages
rules.
- Teachers are faced with an impossible task: “They need to square the
circle”
o With limited time, institutional constraints of syllabus and
examinations, they are additionally expected to raise awareness of
the reality of the variability which their students will face, if ever
they have to use English internationally
o The best they can do is teach them: although they are learning a
standard variety of English, they will inevitably meet many other
varieties in the outside world
o They can do this by:
Exposing them to some of these varieties in comprehension
mode, making it clear that they are not learning to produce
such varieties
Introducing some strategies for dealing with situations where
comprehension is not immediately transparent
- Teachers need to teach diversity to make students aware of other varieties
of English; they need to know that there are more kinds of Englishes other
than the one that they are learning. They also need to teach them how to
deal with this diversity by creating a tolerance for differences and having
positive attitude towards these differences or diversity.
o That’s the key to surviving in the world outside the classroom
Text 4: But teacher, English here is different, right?
- Braj Kachru’s circles of world Englishes
o Inner circle: traditional bases of English; dominated by the mother
tongue varieties of the language
Great Britain, United States and Australia
o Outer circle: countries in which English is not the first language but
where English played an important role in education, business
affairs, and culture.
