Gibson Ferguson Language Planning and Education Edinburgh ...

204 Language Planning and Education
As a teacher, how would you respond to the above forms? Would your response
vary with the context in which they occurred? If so, how?
Do you think the forms above should be treated as correct if they occurred in the
context of an international test of English such as TOEIC or TOEFL? Why or
why not?
2. The text below is from the Deccan Herald. Are there any features – grammatical,
lexical, stylistic, discoursal – that might identify the text as Indian English as
opposed to, say, British English? If so, are these mainly a matter of grammar or
lexis, or something else? Are any parts of the text difficult to understand?
Blame public for decline in snakes
It is ironical that the snakes which are held in high esteem when it comes to prayer,
are being hacked, apparently for fear, whenever they make a surprise appearance in
residential areas.
However, snakes have a role to play in the food chain. Their staple diet, rodents,
cause much loss to farmers as they gulp down more than 15 per cent of agricultural
produce in an year.
But snakes are facing a major threat, particularly in rural areas, as the people are
devoid of information on the necessity of snakes in the food chain.
The number of poisonous snakes are just a handful, but the residents have been
ruthless in eliminating their nemesis for fear.
In urban areas, however, people are becoming quite aware about the necessity to
protect snakes.
Even if a snake makes an appearance in a residential locality, people capture the
reptile and release it into the forest.
According to the Wildlife Conservation Act, killing snakes is banned, but it is yet
to be fully implemented. However, snake lovers hope that people will take the
initiative in protecting a species which may soon become endangered.
(Source: Deccan Herald 13 May 2005.)
3. Do you agree with Seidlhofer and Jenkins (2003:142) that a greater degree of
independence from native speaker norms should now also be accorded to users of
English as a lingua franca in the Expanding Circle (i.e. in countries like Italy,
Japan, China, Greece, etc.), where English has traditionally been taught with
almost exclusive reference to British or American Standard English? Are there
obstacles to so doing?
Suggestions for further reading
Kachru’s 1992a edited volume The Other Tongue, and the papers by Quirk 1988,
1990a, Kachru 1988 and 1991 and Bamgbose 1998 are recommended reading for
those interested in following the debate over models for teaching English around the