Sociolinguistics and Language Education.pdf

112 Part 2: Language and Society
for all citizens. In contexts in which gaining profi ciency in English may
threaten mother-tongue use and development, English programs should be
established in such a way that the local language is fully supported.
EIL curricula should include examples of the diversity of English
varieties used today
Recent research has documented the diversity of English use today,
illustrating both the regularity of these varieties and the manner in which
they are a source of personal and social identity. In light of this diversity, a
socially sensitive EIL pedagogy needs to fi rst of all afford equal status to
all varieties of English and, second, promote an awareness of variation in
English use. Which particular varieties are dealt with will depend on the
local context. Promoting an awareness of the varieties of English spoken
today may enhance learners’ receptive skills in processing different varieties
of English and promote an awareness that English, as an international
language, no longer belongs solely to speakers of the Inner Circle.
Recognition of the hybridity and fl uidity of modern day English use will
afford full status to second-language speakers of the language.
EIL curricula need to exemplify L2–L2 interactions
Given that the majority of English interactions today are among L2
speakers, EIL curricula need to include far more examples of L2–L2 English
interactions. Including examples of actual L2–L2 interactions will be benefi
cial in two ways. First, it will create an awareness that one important
value of English is that it allows individuals to communicate across a great
variety of geographical and cultural boundaries and not merely with
speakers from Inner Circle countries. Second, including actual examples
of L2–L2 interactions can provide a context for discussing various means
by which individuals can seek clarifi cation and establish relationships
when they may have gaps in their knowledge of English.
Full recognition needs to be given to the other languages
spoken by English speakers
For too long, a good deal of ELT pedagogy has been informed by an
English-only discourse. Yet, often bilingual speakers of English have a rich
linguistic repertoire, which they use to signal their personal identity and
social relationships. Codeswitching is an important means by which they
do this. Encouraging codeswitching in EIL classrooms is benefi cial in that
it will provide equal status to all of the languages learners speak and
provide a context for students to investigate reasons for codeswitching.
And most importantly it allows for a discretionary use of the fi rst language
as a means of developing profi ciency in English.