Article

CLT using CEFR and EIL in Southeast Asia and East Asia in the English language classroom

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Abstract

This article discusses language teaching and the move from a predominantly psycholinguistic to a more sociolinguistic approach through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the Common European Framework of Reference Languages (CEFR) and English as an International Language (EIL). The context is four plurilingual and pluricultural societies in Southeast Asia and East Asia, (Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and China). These countries were chosen as they had similarities in the development of CEFR and consequently there were common factors that needed to be addressed in implementing CEFR. According to the English Proficiency Index (2020) a number of countries in the region have been described as being in the category of low or very low with regard to proficiency. To help improve such a situation, given the need for economic development, CEFR was introduced by various Ministries of Education in addition to the already existing official CLT syllabuses. English as an international language has also been widely proposed by a number of researchers, in terms of making teachers, students and educators aware of English as a world language as well as developing an attitudinal change with regard to ‘standard’ English. This article suggests that the basic principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) can be best applied through scaffolding using CEFR and EIL given the reality of teaching in relatively low English language proficiency contexts.

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... It emphasizes not only grammar and vocabulary but also the real-world use of language, such as recognizing cultural differences and communicating effectively with others. In April 2014, the English Language Institute (ELI), a branch of the Ministry of Education (MOE), introduced FRELE-TH, a localized version of the CEFR, to promote effective communication strategies (Foley 2021). However, in 2015, when 94% of teachers failed to reach the targeted proficiency level of B2, many began to view the CEFR primarily as a proficiency assessment tool. ...
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... In Malaysia and in some parts of Southeast Asia, the decolonisation of English language education is not yet a critical agenda. In fact, the influence of westernbased English language pedagogy is expanding, as seen through the uptake of teaching frameworks such as the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam (see Foley 2022;Savski 2019). Concurrently, researchers are promoting the Global Englishes (GE) movement that recognises localised varieties of Englishes and local communication practices (Boonsuk, Wasoh, and Ambele 2022). ...
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... Excellent examples of how CEFR has been systematically adapted and impacted on a national level are the cases of Japan (Negishi, 2022;Negishi et al., 2013;Nishimura-Sahi, 2022), and other Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam (Foley, 2019a(Foley, , 2019b(Foley, , 2022. The cases show that CEFR has been influential in Asian countries to inform language education policy nationwide. ...
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A great deal has been written about what English as an International Language (EIL) actually is (e.g. Alsagoff et al., 2012; Matsuda, 2012; McKay and Brown, 2016; Sharifian, 2009), ranging from a view of EIL as the many varieties of English that are spoken today to the use of English by second language speakers of English. Thus, EIL is viewed both as a type of English and as a way of using English. The purpose of this article is to (1) grapple with defining the construct of EIL and (2) elaborate on what this construct means for pedagogy. The article begins by discussing various terms and definitions associated with EIL and positing an alternative definition. Following this, the majority of the article will be devoted to elaborating on what such a definition suggests for a sensitive and effective EIL pedagogy.
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New conceptualizations of English are challenging traditional norms of what the language is, as well as how it is taught and by whom. These changes, coupled with the expansion of teaching English across the educational spectrum from younger grades to tertiary levels, present challenges to many national education systems. The role of teachers’ English competence, particularly in public-sector teaching, is central to how these educational changes play out in countries around the world. How classroom English language ability is described connects to many dimensions of teaching. This article argues that conventional definitions that connect general English proficiency, often based on generic statements about language use, do not address the type of classroom language teachers need in order to teach. Further, language training focused on general language fluency often does not directly address teachers’ particular professional needs. Policies and practices based on these definitions disadvantage most English language teachers by defining problems of teaching quality in terms of deficits in general English proficiency. English-for-Teaching, a conceptualization of the English teachers’ use in classroom language teaching, is based on a languages for specific purposes (LSP) methodology. The construct defines three functional areas of classroom language use – managing the classroom, understanding and communicating lesson content, and assessing and giving students feedback. The article outlines the construct and a professional development programme based on it. Analyses from implementing these programmes provided by ministries of education to pre- and in-service teachers in Japan and in Vietnam are discussed.
Book
This volume problematizes native-speakerism in language learning and teaching, critically engaging with the issue of native-speakerism as a language-based form of prejudice affecting language teachers. Bringing theoretical discussion together with empirical data, Houghton, Rivers and Hashimoto document past traditions and current perspectives surrounding the native-speaker criterion, and explore native-speakerism across languages and contexts. The authors make the case that the category of "native speaker" is intended to satisfy, maintain and enhance certain agendas and beliefs connected to nation-state affiliation in relation to English language education. Looking specifically at the context of language teaching in Japan, the authors provide a sociohistorical deconstruction of Japan’s relationship with the "native speaker" and consider educational policy/practice in the context of native-speakerism. They examine how dominant social representations perpetuate native-speakerism, and argue that individual teacher narratives can shed light on the consequences of native-speakerism. https://www.routledge.com/Beyond-Native-Speakerism-Current-Explorations-and-Future-Visions/Houghton-Rivers-Hashimoto/p/book/9781138186798
Chapter
Teaching English in multicultural, and what I would term multi-varietal, contexts presents a unique challenge as the question is often raised by English teachers as to whose culture and which variety should be taught. Australia presents such a context, where the multicultural fabric of the society has been well established, and where a wide range of varieties of English from all three Kachruvian circles exist side by side. Traditionally, the ELT businesses in Australia have taken it for granted that English language classes should focus on teaching Standard Australian English, since the majority of the population in Australia speaks Australian English. However, the reality is that many learners of English in Australia mainly use English to communicate with speakers of varieties other than Australian English, due to the fact that a large number of learners live in densely multicultural suburbs. Also, those learners who are learning English in Australia temporarily to move back to their countries, or other countries, will be using English to speak to speakers of many other varieties of English, and hardly ever with any Australian English speaker. In this paper, I argue that English needs to be taught as a pluricentric language in Australia, focusing on developing learners’ intercultural communication skills and meta-cultural competence. I also argue that when it comes to the use of English for intercultural communication, native speakers of Australian English are not necessarily at an advantage, and therefore they would equally benefit from training in intercultural communication.
Article
Purpose – This paper aims to shed light on the process of adopting and accommodating a global language education framework, namely the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, in the context of Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach – The data to develop the argument of the paper are obtained from a doctoral research project that aims to understand the reception, interpretations and responses of key stakeholders in the process of enacting the CEFR in a Vietnam public university. The study was designed as a qualitative case study with data being collected using policy document analysis, classroom observation and in-depth interviews with 21 purposively sampled participants, including school administrators, English language teachers and students over a period of six months. Findings – The paper argues that the adoption of the CEFR, as it currently stands, can be seen at best as a “quick-fix” (Steiner-Khamsi, 2004, p. 58) solution to the complex and time-consuming problem of improving the quality of English language education in Vietnam, which fails to address some critical issues in the practice of teaching and learning the language in the country. Originality/value – The study speaks to the body of literature on the CEFR as a contemporary global language policy borrowing phenomenon in developing countries. It contributes to a better understanding of how a global language policy is adopted and appropriated at the grass-root level.
Article
This article provides some context for the unquestionable influence of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) on language learning, teaching, and assessment ten years after its publication. If a survey about the most relevant and controversial document in the field in the twenty-first century were to be carried out, the CEFR would most surely be the top one. The document itself has been translated into all European languages, and its scales are now available in more than 40 languages, including sign language. The CEFR levels and its scales have become currency in Europe and beyond, and its recommendationshaving seduced governments and institutionsare slowly finding their way into everyday practice. The CEFR, however, is not a model of absolute perfection, and criticisms and challenges will also be reviewed and discussed.
Article
This article presents the results of an investigation into the place of English in the curriculum in several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The study indicates that the emergence of English as a global language is having considerable impact on policies and practices in all countries surveyed. However, it also reveals significant problems, including confusion and inconsistency, at the level of policy, particularly regarding the issue of age of initial instruction, inequity regarding access to effective language instruction, inadequately trained and skilled teachers, and a disjunction between curriculum rhetoric and pedagogical reality.
Book
This book addresses how the new linguistic concept of ‘Translanguaging’ has contributed to our understandings of language, bilingualism and education, with potential to transform not only semiotic systems and speaker subjectivities, but also social structures.
Article
This paper recapitulates the aims of the CEFR and highlights three aspects of good practice in exploiting it: firstly, taking as a starting point the real-world language ability that is the aim of all modern language learners; secondly, the exploitation of good descriptors as transparent learning objectives in order to involve and empower the learners; and thirdly, engaging with the communality of the CEFR Common Reference Levels in relating assessments to it. The second part of the paper focuses on good practice in such linking of assessments to the CEFR. It outlines the recommended procedures published by the Council of Europe for linking language examinations to the CEFR and the adaptation of those procedures for teacher assessment in language schools that has recently been undertaken by EAQUALS. The paper concludes by discussing certain aspects of criterion-referenced assessment (CR) and standard setting that are relevant to the linking process.
Article
In this study, 108 students and 34 non-native teachers of English in Finnish upper secondary schools were surveyed regarding their views on the teaching targets and practical goals underpinning their use of English inside and outside school. Two questionnaires were distributed, covering both quantitative and qualitative questions. The results suggest that Finnish students and teachers are well aware of the lingua franca role of English in the ‘real world’ and generally welcome diversity. At the same time, standard models and goals appear to surround ‘school English’, as reflected in the examinations which terminate upper secondary education. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin suomalaisten lukion englanninopettajien ja opiskelijoiden näkemyksiä englanninopetuksen tavoitteista ja päämääristä lingua franca –englannin näkökulmasta, ts. miten englannin rooli kansainvälisenä kielenä näkyy opettajien ja opiskelijoiden ajatuksissa suhteessa kouluopetukseen. Laadullisia ja määrällisiä kysymyksiä sisältäneeseen kyselytutkimukseen vastasi 108 opiskelijaa ja 34 lukion englanninopettajaa. Tulokset osoittavat, että sekä opettajat että oppilaat ovat hyvin tietoisia englannin roolista kansainvälisenä lingua francana ‘tosielämässä’, mutta tämä tietoisuus ei juurikaan näy ‘kouluenglannissa’, joka nähdään edelleen paljolti standardikielen ja äidinkielisen puhujan näkökulmasta. Ristiriita johtuu todennäköisesti ainakin osittain lukion päättävästä ylioppilaskokeesta ja sen asettamista vaatimuksista.
Article
This paper addresses the issue of English in South America through the investigation of attitudes towards English by a group of MBA students in Argentina. To investigate their attitudes, a survey questionnaire was administered. Its analysis and the relationship between attitudes and the socio–political environment are explored in this paper. The findings suggest a close association between English and the job market, while they also indicate a lack of sociolinguistic awareness vis–à–vis non–native users of English elsewhere. As part of the discussion, I make connections between the historical moment of Argentina and the perceptions of the role of a world language such as English. The paper concludes with a call for a more conscientious inclusion of issues pertaining to the sociolinguistics of the global spread of English as part of the classroom curriculum.
Article
The concept of indexical order is introduced, necessary to any empirical investigation of the inherently dialectical facts of indexicality. Indexical order is central to analyzing how semiotic agents access macro-sociological plane categories and concepts as values in the indexable realm of the micro-contextual. Through such access their relational identities are presupposed and creatively (trans)formed in interaction. We work through several classic examples of indexicality well-known in the literature of sociolinguistics, the clarification of which can be enhanced by using the concept of indexical order, viz., ‘T/V’ deference-indexicality, speech levels, indexically significant variation in phonetics informed by a standard phonological register. We conclude with an analysis of identity-commoditizing indexical overlays such as the American English register here dubbed “oinoglossia,” ‘wine talk’.
Article
Libro a propósito de las estrategias para el estudio del inglés implementadas por profesores y estudiantes de países subdesarrollados, con el fin de que el idioma esté al servicio de sus necesidades e identidad, y no en beneficio del imperialismo y las estructuras coloniales que perviven en esas naciones.
Article
English language teachers' opinions on the pedagogic relevance of spoken grammar are beginning to be reported, yet the voices of teachers in East Asia are rarely heard. In this article, the views of teachers from China and Singapore expressed in an online discussion are compared. The discussion, which was part of a taught postgraduate course, focused on the usefulness of British spoken grammar norms and the potential value of spoken grammar knowledge for language learners. There is a broad consensus of opinion about its importance for raising learners' language awareness, but Chinese and Singaporean teachers generally had different attitudes to native speaker norms, while opinions on some pedagogical issues vary more at the individual level. The similarities and differences are attributed to the teachers' sociolinguistic concerns, understanding of learner needs, and beliefs about grammar that are influenced by the written language. The implications of these teacher perspectives for teacher education are highlighted.
The Education Ministry aims to recruit native English teachers
  • M Dumrongkiat
World English: A study of its development. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters
  • Brutt-Griffler
Adapting CEFR for English Language Education in ASEAN, Japan and China
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The Sociolinguistics of Globalization Cambridge
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Interrogating new worlds of ELT
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The CEFR and Teaching Japanese as a foreign language
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