English as a Lingua Franca and World Englishes in ELT: Challenges and Opportunities for Materials Development and Implementation

Abstract

This article examines the potential challenges and opportunities that may arise when intending to integrate ELF and World English (WE) into materials design. By considering both aspects, Jhon discusses some of the considerations that ELT educators should bear in mind when creating ELF/WE-aware resources. Biography Jhon Eduardo Mosquera Pérez holds a bachelor's and master's degree in ELT from Universidad Surcolombiana and a master's degree in learning and teaching processes in second languages from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia. Currently, he is a full-time teacher educator at Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC) in Colombia. Challenges in integrating English as a lingua franca (ELF) and World Englishes (WE) into materials design 1. Which English varieties to include? Implementing ELF and WE in material design presents numerous challenges. However, the objective is not to teach all English varieties worldwide but to recognize and incorporate non-standard English varieties used in third spaces of communication. This shift promotes a more inclusive perspective of English teaching, challenging hegemonic practices. It also fosters a new yet similar dogmatic sense of ownership of the language, which is precisely one of the attitudes and stances that ELF and WE intend to challenge. 2. What kind of information and resources to use? The scarcity of ELF and WE-informed materials poses a challenge in material design. To address this, educators should rely less on mainstream textbooks as these mostly recognize and celebrate American and British English and culture (Núñez-Pardo 2020; 2022) but also on real situations where English serves as a vehicle of communication (Seidlhofer, 2005). Some of the resources they could use instead are real-world examples of English communication, such as videos, interviews, podcasts and even newspapers where English is used by writers whose first language is not English. Resources like the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) can offer diverse English examples, promoting a global understanding of the language. This platform, run by dialectologists and linguists specialized in the English language, provides real examples of English spoken by speakers from the three Kachruvian circles (including those from the US and the UK). Hence, counting on this tool when bringing ELF-WE to the classroom will surely represent an excellent opportunity to raise a more aware perspective of the global and local particularities of English on the planet (Blair, 2015). 3 Pedagogical approaches and professional development opportunities The dominance of inner circle teaching methods coupled with the lack of educational programmes focusing on ELF and WE creates a knowledge gap. To bridge this gap, it is essential to promote professional development opportunities and pedagogies aligned with ELF and WE principles, fostering a more realistic view of English as a global lingua franca. Opportunities 1. Develop a pluralistic view of English and cultures in global and local contexts Incorporating ELF and WE into material design can help learners develop a more open and realistic view of English globally, enhancing their ability to navigate diverse cultural contexts and communicate effectively. More actively engaging the students in ELF and WE interaction will allow them to perceive that despite the global power of English, it has been appropriated and influenced by cultures where it is used. At the same time, it will permit the study of culture in a more profound way, as suggested by Lopriore and Vettorel (2018), for whom the current design of materials should reflect the sociocultural features of locations where English takes place. 2. Reaffirm a sense of legitimacy of English users who are non-L1 speakers Upon completing the research study referenced at the beginning of the article (Macias and Mosquera, 2024), it was found that the pre-service EFL teachers exposed to an ELF and WE-informed course had developed a higher sense of agency, and by extension, had also reaffirmed their own identity as non-L1 English users. This renewed sense of identity is observable in the following lines retrieved from Sandra, one of the many participants we included: English as a lingua franca and world Englishes in ELT:

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ETAS Journal 41/1 Summer 2024 16
Abstract
This article examines the potential challenges and opportunities
that may arise when intending to integrate ELF and World
English (WE) into materials design. By considering both aspects,
Jhon discusses some of the considerations that ELT educators
should bear in mind when creating ELF/WE-aware resources.
Biography
Jhon Eduardo Mosquera Pérez holds a
bachelor’s and master’s degree in ELT from
Universidad Surcolombiana and a master’s
degree in learning and teaching processes
in second languages from Universidad
Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia. Currently,
he is a full-time teacher educator at
Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de
Colombia (UPTC) in Colombia.
Challenges in integrating
English as a lingua franca (ELF)
and World Englishes (WE) into
materials design
1. Which English varieties to include?
Implementing ELF and WE in material design presents
numerous challenges. However, the objective is not to teach
all English varieties worldwide but to recognize and incorporate
non-standard English varieties used in third spaces of
communication. This shift promotes a more inclusive perspective
of English teaching, challenging hegemonic practices. It also
fosters a new yet similar dogmatic sense of ownership of the
language, which is precisely one of the attitudes and stances
that ELF and WE intend to challenge.
2. What kind of information and
resources to use?
The scarcity of ELF and WE-informed materials poses a challenge
in material design. To address this, educators should rely less on
mainstream textbooks as these mostly recognize and celebrate
American and British English and culture (Núñez-Pardo 2020;
2022) but also on real situations where English serves as a
vehicle of communication (Seidlhofer, 2005). Some of the
resources they could use instead are real-world examples of
English communication, such as videos, interviews, podcasts and
even newspapers where English is used by writers whose first
language is not English. Resources like the International Dialects
of English Archive (IDEA) can offer diverse English examples,
promoting a global understanding of the language. This platform,
run by dialectologists and linguists specialized in the English
language, provides real examples of English spoken by speakers
from the three Kachruvian circles (including those from the US and
the UK). Hence, counting on this tool when bringing ELF-WE to the
classroom will surely represent an excellent opportunity to raise a
more aware perspective of the global and local particularities of
English on the planet (Blair, 2015).
3 Pedagogical approaches and
professional development opportunities
The dominance of inner circle teaching methods coupled with the
lack of educational programmes focusing on ELF and WE creates
a knowledge gap. To bridge this gap, it is essential to promote
professional development opportunities and pedagogies aligned
with ELF and WE principles, fostering a more realistic view of
English as a global lingua franca.
Opportunities
1. Develop a pluralistic view of English
and cultures in global and local contexts
Incorporating ELF and WE into material design can help learners
develop a more open and realistic view of English globally,
enhancing their ability to navigate diverse cultural contexts and
communicate effectively. More actively engaging the students in
ELF and WE interaction will allow them to perceive that despite the
global power of English, it has been appropriated and influenced
by cultures where it is used. At the same time, it will permit the
study of culture in a more profound way, as suggested by Lopriore
and Vettorel (2018), for whom the current design of materials
should reflect the sociocultural features of locations where
English takes place.
2. Reaffirm a sense of legitimacy of
English users who are non-L1 speakers
Upon completing the research study referenced at the beginning
of the article (Macias and Mosquera, 2024), it was found that the
pre-service EFL teachers exposed to an ELF and WE-informed
course had developed a higher sense of agency, and by extension,
had also reaffirmed their own identity as non-L1 English users.
This renewed sense of identity is observable in the following lines
retrieved from Sandra, one of the many participants we included:
English as a lingua franca
and world Englishes in ELT:
Challenges and opportunities
for materials development
and implementation
Jhon Eduardo Mosquera Pérez

“English belongs to everyone who uses it, it is a matter of
adopting it within my identity. I had a very strong belief that
I still didn’t speak like them [L1 English speakers], but now
I know that I can communicate, that my accent is fine … and
that even though I don’t have an accent like the ones in the
United States or Great Britain, it doesn’t mean that I don’t
speak English” (Macias & Mosquera-Pérez, 2024, p. 11).
Integrating ELF and WE principles into material design can
empower non-L1 English users by validating their identity and
language usage, regardless of accent or L1 speaker norms.
After all, we have already outnumbered speakers whose first
language is English, and as such, also have the right to decide
how to use and appropriate the language.
Final remarks
Integrating ELF and WE principles into material design presents
challenges but also opens avenues for redefining English language
teaching. This approach fosters inclusivity, empowers learners and
promotes a more realistic understanding of English as a global
language. Readers are encouraged to incorporate ELF and
WE into their teaching materials,
acknowledging linguistic
diversity and empowering
learners worldwide.
References
Blair, A. (2015). Evolving a post-native, multilingual model for ELF-aware teacher. In Y. Bayyurt & S. Akcan (Eds.),
Current perspectives on pedagogy for English as a lingua franca (pp. 80–102). De Gruyter.
Lopriore, L., & Vettorel, P. (2018). Perspectives in WE-and ELF-informed ELT materials in teacher education.
In N. C. Sifakis & N. Tsantila (Eds.), English as a lingua franca for EFL contexts (pp. 97–116). Multilingual Matters.
Macías, D. F., & MosqueraPérez, J. E. (2024). English as a lingua franca, world Englishes, and the preparation of
language teachers: An awarenessraising experience in an English teacher education program in Colombia.
TESOL Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.789
Núñez-Pardo, A. (2020). Inquiring into the coloniality of knowledge, power, and being in EFL textbooks. HOW, 27(2), 113–133.
https://doi.org/10.19183/how.27.2.566
Núñez-Pardo, A. (2022). Indelible coloniality and emergent decoloniality in Colombian-authored EFL textbooks:
A critical content analysis. Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 27(3), 702–724.
Seidlhofer, B. (2005). English as a lingua franca. ELT Journal, 59(4), 339–34.
Integrating ELF and
WE principles into
material design presents
challenges but also opens
avenues for redefining
English language
teaching.
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