International English teachers' perceptions of English as an international language

Abstract

English as an International Language (EIL) and its implications for ELT have been keenly debated throughout the last two decades. Many researchers have in some depth elaborated on the issues of identity and voice, linguistic imperialism, and the importance of non-native speakers and their use of English. However, most of these studies have overlooked other aspects of language including grammar, and the social functions of any particular language such as to project self-image and to develop local voice and culture. The present study is conducted in order to occupy the above stated niche. The thesis presents an explorative and contrastive study in order to examine the extent to which English teachers from different contexts accept EIL for their classroom practices with reference to pronunciation, grammar, and culture and the extent to which English teachers from the Expanding, Outer and Inner Circle countries differ in their attitudes towards EIL. To this end an online survey and 14 semi-structured interviews are conducted to investigate the attitudes of 448 English teachers from 71 different countries. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data revealed that native speaker pronunciation is clearly not the ultimate goal for teachers from various contexts; however, the native speaker goal is more popular for grammar than pronunciation. The majority of teachers prefer content that deals with the life and culture of various countries around the world although there is support for the inclusion of local culture. There is a high degree of awareness of the issues raised by the increasingly international use of English. Accordingly, a clear majority of teachers believe that changing patterns of English use should influence what we teach. The results of this study are hoped to be beneficial to the professionals of ELT, particularly teachers and material/curriculum designers, and to serve as a guide to all of them to revise their attachment to native speaker norms and their conceptions of EIL.