Teaching English as a lingua franca in China

The last decade has witnessed a significant increase of research on English as a lingua franca (ELF) as today's world becomes progressively more globalized (Lei & Liu, 2018). However, studies on ELF in the Chinese contexts remain sparse although linguistic research in China has kept pace with the development of international linguistic academia. Moreover, many researchers studying ELF-informed teaching in China are either non-Chinese scholars or researchers working in countries other than China (Si, 2019). In other words, this newly emerged field of research has not yet been widely embraced by Chinese scholars, nor its paradigm has been promoted in English education while traditional native-English-based teaching has been challenged and initiatives have been taken to promote English education within the ELF paradigm in many countries in the expanding circle (see e.g., Sifakis & Tsantila, 2019). In this paper, we address the issue through identifying various hindrances to teaching ELF in Chinese classroom and analyzing the factors leading to the difficulties and problems with implementing the ELF-informed teaching in Chinese context. Following this, we explore the prospects for taking advantage of the pedagogical value of ELF research in the foreseeable future.

[1]  W. Li,et al.  Problematizing EMI language policy in a transnational world , 2020, English Today.

[2]  Chit Cheung Matthew Sung,et al.  Exploring language identities in English as a lingua franca communication: experiences of bilingual university students in Hong Kong , 2020 .

[3]  Zimeng Pan.  Struggling between national pride and personal empowerment: The language ideologies held by Chinese university students towards China English , 2019, Lingua.

[4]  Dilin Liu,et al.  Research Trends in Applied Linguistics from 2005 to 2016: A Bibliometric Analysis and Its Implications , 2019 .

[5]  Nicos C. Sifakis,et al.  ELF Awareness in English Language Teaching: Principles and Processes , 2019 .

[6]  Jinghui Si.  English as a Lingua Franca: A New Approach for English Language Teaching in China? , 2019, Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics.

[7]  Weihong Wang,et al.  Chinese Netizens’ reactions to the use of English as a lingua franca , 2018, English Today.

[8]  Yang Song.  English language ideologies and students’ perception of international English-Medium-Instruction (EMI) Master's programmes: A Chinese case study , 2018, English Today.

[9]  Yanyan Zhang,et al.  Chinese University Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of and Attitudes towards ELF , 2018, Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics.

[10]  Xia Yu.  Foreign language learning anxiety in China: theories and applications in English language teaching , 2018, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.

[11]  Nicos C. Sifakis,et al.  English as a Lingua Franca for EFL Contexts , 2018 .

[12]  Makoto Mitsugi.  Effect of Schema-Based Instruction on Learning Polysemous English Prepositions: Analyzing through Learners' Perceptions , 2018, Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics.

[13]  Deyuan He.  Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in China: Theories and Applications in English Language Teaching , 2018 .

[14]  Deyuan He.  Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in China , 2018 .

[15]  William Simpson.  An Instrumental Tool Held at Arm’s Length: English as a Vehicle of Cultural Imperialism in China , 2017 .

[16]  F. Fang.  Review of English as a medium of instruction in Chinese universities today: current trends and future directions , 2017, English Today.

[17]  Fan Fang,et al.  Perceptions, awareness and perceived effects of home culture on intercultural communication: Perspectives of university students in China , 2017 .

[18]  D. Deterding,et al.  Researching Chinese English: The State of the Art , 2017 .

[19]  Wen-Hsing Luo.  Teacher perceptions of teaching and learning English as a lingua franca in the expanding circle: A study of Taiwan , 2016, English Today.

[20]  Li Wei.  New Chinglish and the Post-Multilingualism challenge: Translanguaging ELF in China , 2016 .

[21]  F. Fang.  World Englishes or English as a Lingua Franca: Where does English in China stand? , 2016, English Today.

[22]  W. Ren,et al.  University students' perceptions of ELF in mainland China and Taiwan , 2016 .

[23]  Ke Ji.  The linguistic features of ELF by Chinese users in China–ASEAN communication contexts , 2016 .

[24]  Chengsong Yang,et al.  China English in trouble: Evidence from dyadic teacher talk , 2015 .

[25]  Nancy Ares,et al.  Liberation or Oppression?—Western TESOL Pedagogies in China , 2015 .

[26]  H. Widdowson.  Competence and Capability: Rethinking the Subject English , 2015 .

[27]  L. Pedrazzini.  Raising trainee teachers' awareness of language variation through data-based tasks , 2015 .

[28]  John P. O’Regan.  English as a Lingua Franca: An Immanent Critique , 2014 .

[29]  Yongyan Zheng.  A phantom to kill: The challenges for Chinese learners to use English as a global language , 2014, English Today.

[30]  Chit Cheung Matthew Sung,et al.  English as a Lingua Franca and English language teaching : a way forward , 2013 .

[31]  Wei Zhang.  Chinese-English code-mixing among China's netizens , 2012, English Today.

[32]  Martin Dewey,et al.  Towards a post-normative approach: learning the pedagogy of ELF , 2012 .

[33]  A. Kirkpatrick.  English as an Asian Lingua Franca: the ‘Lingua Franca Approach’ and implications for language education policy , 2012 .

[34]  David Block,et al.  English as a 'global language' in China : An investigation into learners' and teachers' language beliefs , 2011 .

[35]  Deyuan He,et al.  Native Speaker Norms and China English: From the Perspective of Learners and Teachers in China , 2010 .

[36]  Steve Walsh,et al.  Which English? Whose English? An investigation of ‘non-native’ teachers' beliefs about target varieties , 2010 .

[37]  J. Blommaert.  The Sociolinguistics of Globalization: Frontmatter , 2010 .

[38]  Barbara Seidlhofer,et al.  Understanding English as a Lingua Franca , 2009 .

[39]  Deyuan He,et al.  Language attitudes and linguistic features in the 'China English' debate , 2009 .

[40]  L. Prodromou.  Is ELF a variety of English? , 2007, English Today.

[41]  I. Kuo,et al.  Addressing the issue of teaching English as a lingua franca , 2006 .

[42]  V. Cook,et al.  Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages , Inc . ( TESOL ) Going beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching , 2007 .

[43]  H. Widdowson.  EIL, ESL, EFL: Global Issues and Local Interests. , 1997 .

[44]  P. Bourdieu,et al.  Language and Symbolic Power , 1991 .