Week 12

The world is undoubtedly being influenced by globalization, whether it be in a positive or negative way, as was explained in Chapter 1 and 2 by Mc-Kay and Bokohrst-Heng. It is making it much easier for information to be shared and for more cultural and linguistic exchange, which has an enormous effect on the usage of English. English is now a worldwide language, being used in various social contexts, which Kachru presented as the Inner Circle, Outer Circle, and Expanding Circle. Is English being learned because it is needed in day-to-day life, or to succeed in formal and educational settings, or because of the pressures of globalization? These three learning contexts influence how language learners approach English and it can affect their motivation and even alter their social identity.

I found the alchemy of English to be a fascinating concept discussed in Chapter 1, which asserts that knowing English is like possessing Aladdin's lamp and it holds the dreams of linguistic knowledge and personal success. Many believe that investing in English provides power, which is why it continues to be such a global language, but to what extent is this good or bad? I do not believe it necessarily grants power and it makes English seem more superior to the many other languages of the world. I truly think it is important for ESL/EFL teachers to consider how their students view English and remember to incorporate their cultural values and languages into the curriculum, instead of placing full importance on English. As a native speaker of English, I cannot imagine putting so much faith in a language to bring success; but this belief has led to English being spoken by more second language speakers than native speakers. That is truly a sign of the impacts of factors such as colonialism and globalization on English.

Chapter 2 explained the many programs designed to teach English in the Inner Circle, Outer Circle, and Expanding Circle, which made me question which program would be the best. I was left feeling confused on how this should be approached because of the diversity of the three contexts and of course, there are always individual student differences. However, I do believe that when designing these educational programs, it is always important to consider the relationship between ethnicity and language support. I personally do not think a program should force students to fully assimilate themselves and lose their cultural identity, but it should be a balanced mixture between English learning and maintaining or adjusting cultural identity. I am confident that there will be more research in the TESOL field that will provide us with better ways to address the impacts of globalization on English teaching.

The Kubota article discussed the discourse of kokusaika (internalization), which tries to balance the tense promotion of English and nationalism. However, it pushes aside the local linguistic and cultural diversity. It has led to four premises for foreign language education: English is the foreign language, the model for English should be standard North American or British varieties, learning English leads to intercultural understanding, and national identity is fostered through English. I thought these were very pushing towards English and did not effectively promote other cultures or languages, which is always important.