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Abstract: The ownership of English is one chapter of Widdowson's book Defining Issues in English Language Teaching. From this particular issue, the writer elicits some individual understanding about the ownership of English and some thinking about English teaching to share with English teachers and English reseachers.
Key words: ownership of English English teaching
1. Introduction
Professor Widdowson is best known for his contribution to English language teaching and he has always been liking to promote critical thinking into the issues he has raised. At the 27th Annual TESOL Convention, H. G. Widdowson puts forward a serials of questions about the ownership of English, which is closely related to the language teaching. He concludes his argument by saying that no nation can have custody over English—the international language; and nonnative English teachers should not be discriminated in linguistic territory in that they are familiar with students' reality and know how to design the instruction of teaching in their own social context(Widdowson). It is such a thought-provoking argument for all English teachers, both native and nonnative. As a nonnative English teacher, the writer provides some understanding about the issue of the ownership of English and some thinking about English teaching in this paper.
2. About the Ownership of English
Widdowson thinks it is reactionary, arrogant and totally unacceptable to define real English as Royal English, Queen's English or Oxford English, the Vintage language(Widdowson). He also says that how English develops in the world is no business whatever of native speakers in England, or the United States, or anywhere else…it is only international to the extent that it is not their language(Widdowson). The writer entirely agrees with him and obtains some individual understanding about the Ownership of English.
2.1 Only the best qualified-seed can produce healthy offshoots and outgrowths. Then what is the imperial seed?It is Oxford English.
As the origin of language spreading, Oxford English, like the forerunner, should not keep arbitrary control over the development of some gradually influential offspring or have prejudice against the underdeveloped. On the contrary, it should be overjoyed to see many children grow individually and form their own features. At present American English, North American English, and Australian English have equal shares with British English since the English language ceased to be the sole possession of the English some time ago. Meanwhile several other varieties of New Englishes have also grown in distinctiveness. However some people think the language standards are at stake due to varieties. These varieties like African English, Middle-East English, South-Asian English, South American English may sound displeasing to the ear of those so-called Native Speakers or BANA Speakers, but these Englishes absolutely serve as a tool of clear communication and intelligibility in both written and spoken forms. All varieties are excellent no doubt in their way.
2.2 The British find various excuses to claim that English is the property of their national trust and they have right to maintain standard English for the sake of quality assurance.
In fact what they are emphasizing is the nontransferable privilege. The Englishmen take it for granted that they speak standard English and their voice is the most beautiful one in the world. They enjoy privilege exclusively for themselves. Other English speakers (except BANA speakers) don't dream to become a member of that supreme community although she/he speaks perfect English. After all, it won't be privilege to those distinguished speakers any longer if it goes easily to everybody. Once it happens their personal interests are in danger. In a broader sense, the excuse to maintain exclusive quality of Standard English is in essence to guarantee their national profits. Then what do they want to maintain on earth? Widdowson says they claim to protect the grammar and spelling jealously. In native speakers' mind well-educated people don't make stupid mistakes of spelling and grammar. It is a symbol of social status. This argument sounds so out of date that it is only applicable in Bernard Shaws' time. Now the telecommunication and information technology develop at tremendous speed. Computer which serves people quite conveniently can check all the spelling and grammatical mistakes in written form automatically. As for the spoken form, it is secondary and only a written variety for education, administration and business is regarded as standard English. As a result the grammar and spelling don't show their identity at all. This excuse doesn't hold water.
2.3 Widdowson mentions another excuse of native speakers'.
They claim that if Standard English is not properly protected, the security of its community is to be undermined, and the spreading of undermined Standard English shakes the stability of the whole world. The native speakers exaggerate things just to scare people. They can certainly set their minds at rest. For one thing, language itself is unstable. Many new language forms are created to express new ideas or new attitudes to suit changing circumstances. The various localization of new Englishes is communicative and meets the needs of in-group transaction. In this way the security of community is far from our concern. And for another, cultural shock or cultural conflict, which inevitably appears in international communication, provides the very chance for different communities to learn from and understand each other rather than put the whole world into anarchy. Evidently culture exchange includes language exchange. The world used to follow the native speakers and have taken much from their culture. But people like to give as well as to receive. It is the time for native speakers to broaden their outlook, stop their superiority complex for English and find a place for other localization of Standard English, because it is clearly vital for the interests of the international community. In that case the whole world will share a common standard of English and obstacles of international communication will gradually decrease so that people from different cultures can live in perfect harmony.
3. About English Teaching
Realizing that Standard English is not the privilege or advantage of native speakers or the BANA speakers, other English speakers especially nonnative speakers feel much more confident and relieved, namely, they will be given more chances to display their English capability. Yet it is critically important for all English teachers to answer some guiding questions about English teaching.
3.1 Who has the authority to define possible teaching policy and target objectives of teaching? Are they native English teachers, as they know what is appropriate in contexts of language use?The answer is negative.
Firstly, if native-speaker competence is used to set teaching targets and define language proficiency, the learner is left playing a game in which the goal posts are being perpetually moved by people they can not challenge(Rampton). Secondly, teaching policy reflects the social norms or values which are part of a nation's ideology. Foreign teaching staff may give some proposals but their opinions are not decisive. They have to perform what they are expected to do according to the specific teaching aims and tasks. In addition, to use the language at their disposal doesn't mean native speaker teachers are suitable to define teaching objectives for other nations, because they don't know the real condition in that country. For instance Chinese Ministry of Education establishes the teaching objectives, teaching tasks and testing models for different levels of English learners. All the schools and universities need to grasp the essence of education policy and carry it out. Therefore the target objectives should be reasonably defined by individual country based on its specific national condition.
3.2 Do nonnative English teachers know what is appropriate in contexts of language teaching?Who is most qualified to teach students who don't speak English as native language?
If nonnative English teachers live abroad for quite a few years, it will be a very precious experience for them, as they can truly understand the local culture and the real meaning of some English expressions. But they will also encounter some teaching problems that they themselves can't solve. Therefore, nonnative English teachers should be language learners in their whole life and both proper English and proper pedagogy are very critical for them. In the contexts of language teaching, English teachers of Chinese know what students have learned, what they should learn, what they are interested in and what teaching methods should be adopted. The familiarity with students helps greatly in pedagogic principle for such subjects as Literature, Linguistics,Grammar, Translation, Phonetics and etc. But foreign teachers are more competent in Speaking, Writing and World Cultures since they have acquired the language and culture as integrated experience and have a feel for its nuances and idiomatic identity, which the nonnative English teachers don't have. To answer the above questions, nonnative English teachers should not neglect the authenticity and accuracy of language if they want to know what is appropriate in contexts of language teaching. And English teachers, both native and nonnative, are respectively playing important roles in educating the genuine English talents.
4. Conclusion
In recent years many nations like Singapore make English an official language and other nations like China choose English as their chief foreign language in school, so English has become the language on which the sun never sets (Crystal). It is self-evident that no one can claim sole ownership of English and it is undoubtedly logical that the English teaching policy is an issue of each nation's. In English teaching, both native and nonnative English teachers should be given equal chance to exert their unique ability and teach subjects that they are particularly good at. But nonnative English teachers have to make constant efforts to learn accurate, appropriate and up-to-date English for their teaching career.
Bibliography:
1.Crystal, David. English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003
2.Rampton, MBH. The ‘Native Speaker': Expertise, Affiliation and Inheritance. ELT Journal. V.55. 1990, 335-346.
3.Widdowson, HG. Defining Issues in English Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003
Key words: ownership of English English teaching
1. Introduction
Professor Widdowson is best known for his contribution to English language teaching and he has always been liking to promote critical thinking into the issues he has raised. At the 27th Annual TESOL Convention, H. G. Widdowson puts forward a serials of questions about the ownership of English, which is closely related to the language teaching. He concludes his argument by saying that no nation can have custody over English—the international language; and nonnative English teachers should not be discriminated in linguistic territory in that they are familiar with students' reality and know how to design the instruction of teaching in their own social context(Widdowson). It is such a thought-provoking argument for all English teachers, both native and nonnative. As a nonnative English teacher, the writer provides some understanding about the issue of the ownership of English and some thinking about English teaching in this paper.
2. About the Ownership of English
Widdowson thinks it is reactionary, arrogant and totally unacceptable to define real English as Royal English, Queen's English or Oxford English, the Vintage language(Widdowson). He also says that how English develops in the world is no business whatever of native speakers in England, or the United States, or anywhere else…it is only international to the extent that it is not their language(Widdowson). The writer entirely agrees with him and obtains some individual understanding about the Ownership of English.
2.1 Only the best qualified-seed can produce healthy offshoots and outgrowths. Then what is the imperial seed?It is Oxford English.
As the origin of language spreading, Oxford English, like the forerunner, should not keep arbitrary control over the development of some gradually influential offspring or have prejudice against the underdeveloped. On the contrary, it should be overjoyed to see many children grow individually and form their own features. At present American English, North American English, and Australian English have equal shares with British English since the English language ceased to be the sole possession of the English some time ago. Meanwhile several other varieties of New Englishes have also grown in distinctiveness. However some people think the language standards are at stake due to varieties. These varieties like African English, Middle-East English, South-Asian English, South American English may sound displeasing to the ear of those so-called Native Speakers or BANA Speakers, but these Englishes absolutely serve as a tool of clear communication and intelligibility in both written and spoken forms. All varieties are excellent no doubt in their way.
2.2 The British find various excuses to claim that English is the property of their national trust and they have right to maintain standard English for the sake of quality assurance.
In fact what they are emphasizing is the nontransferable privilege. The Englishmen take it for granted that they speak standard English and their voice is the most beautiful one in the world. They enjoy privilege exclusively for themselves. Other English speakers (except BANA speakers) don't dream to become a member of that supreme community although she/he speaks perfect English. After all, it won't be privilege to those distinguished speakers any longer if it goes easily to everybody. Once it happens their personal interests are in danger. In a broader sense, the excuse to maintain exclusive quality of Standard English is in essence to guarantee their national profits. Then what do they want to maintain on earth? Widdowson says they claim to protect the grammar and spelling jealously. In native speakers' mind well-educated people don't make stupid mistakes of spelling and grammar. It is a symbol of social status. This argument sounds so out of date that it is only applicable in Bernard Shaws' time. Now the telecommunication and information technology develop at tremendous speed. Computer which serves people quite conveniently can check all the spelling and grammatical mistakes in written form automatically. As for the spoken form, it is secondary and only a written variety for education, administration and business is regarded as standard English. As a result the grammar and spelling don't show their identity at all. This excuse doesn't hold water.
2.3 Widdowson mentions another excuse of native speakers'.
They claim that if Standard English is not properly protected, the security of its community is to be undermined, and the spreading of undermined Standard English shakes the stability of the whole world. The native speakers exaggerate things just to scare people. They can certainly set their minds at rest. For one thing, language itself is unstable. Many new language forms are created to express new ideas or new attitudes to suit changing circumstances. The various localization of new Englishes is communicative and meets the needs of in-group transaction. In this way the security of community is far from our concern. And for another, cultural shock or cultural conflict, which inevitably appears in international communication, provides the very chance for different communities to learn from and understand each other rather than put the whole world into anarchy. Evidently culture exchange includes language exchange. The world used to follow the native speakers and have taken much from their culture. But people like to give as well as to receive. It is the time for native speakers to broaden their outlook, stop their superiority complex for English and find a place for other localization of Standard English, because it is clearly vital for the interests of the international community. In that case the whole world will share a common standard of English and obstacles of international communication will gradually decrease so that people from different cultures can live in perfect harmony.
3. About English Teaching
Realizing that Standard English is not the privilege or advantage of native speakers or the BANA speakers, other English speakers especially nonnative speakers feel much more confident and relieved, namely, they will be given more chances to display their English capability. Yet it is critically important for all English teachers to answer some guiding questions about English teaching.
3.1 Who has the authority to define possible teaching policy and target objectives of teaching? Are they native English teachers, as they know what is appropriate in contexts of language use?The answer is negative.
Firstly, if native-speaker competence is used to set teaching targets and define language proficiency, the learner is left playing a game in which the goal posts are being perpetually moved by people they can not challenge(Rampton). Secondly, teaching policy reflects the social norms or values which are part of a nation's ideology. Foreign teaching staff may give some proposals but their opinions are not decisive. They have to perform what they are expected to do according to the specific teaching aims and tasks. In addition, to use the language at their disposal doesn't mean native speaker teachers are suitable to define teaching objectives for other nations, because they don't know the real condition in that country. For instance Chinese Ministry of Education establishes the teaching objectives, teaching tasks and testing models for different levels of English learners. All the schools and universities need to grasp the essence of education policy and carry it out. Therefore the target objectives should be reasonably defined by individual country based on its specific national condition.
3.2 Do nonnative English teachers know what is appropriate in contexts of language teaching?Who is most qualified to teach students who don't speak English as native language?
If nonnative English teachers live abroad for quite a few years, it will be a very precious experience for them, as they can truly understand the local culture and the real meaning of some English expressions. But they will also encounter some teaching problems that they themselves can't solve. Therefore, nonnative English teachers should be language learners in their whole life and both proper English and proper pedagogy are very critical for them. In the contexts of language teaching, English teachers of Chinese know what students have learned, what they should learn, what they are interested in and what teaching methods should be adopted. The familiarity with students helps greatly in pedagogic principle for such subjects as Literature, Linguistics,Grammar, Translation, Phonetics and etc. But foreign teachers are more competent in Speaking, Writing and World Cultures since they have acquired the language and culture as integrated experience and have a feel for its nuances and idiomatic identity, which the nonnative English teachers don't have. To answer the above questions, nonnative English teachers should not neglect the authenticity and accuracy of language if they want to know what is appropriate in contexts of language teaching. And English teachers, both native and nonnative, are respectively playing important roles in educating the genuine English talents.
4. Conclusion
In recent years many nations like Singapore make English an official language and other nations like China choose English as their chief foreign language in school, so English has become the language on which the sun never sets (Crystal). It is self-evident that no one can claim sole ownership of English and it is undoubtedly logical that the English teaching policy is an issue of each nation's. In English teaching, both native and nonnative English teachers should be given equal chance to exert their unique ability and teach subjects that they are particularly good at. But nonnative English teachers have to make constant efforts to learn accurate, appropriate and up-to-date English for their teaching career.
Bibliography:
1.Crystal, David. English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003
2.Rampton, MBH. The ‘Native Speaker': Expertise, Affiliation and Inheritance. ELT Journal. V.55. 1990, 335-346.
3.Widdowson, HG. Defining Issues in English Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003