The Linguistics Journal September 2009 Special Edition Language

The Linguistics Journal – September 2009
However, in relation to the expanding circle countries the situation is more complex. As Jenkins
(2007) extensive survey of attitudes to English highlights, there is still a high degree of ‘linguistic
insecurity’ among non-native speakers (NNS) in the expanding circle, especially so in SE Asia. Jenkins
believes the influence of the standard language ideology of NES is still widespread in the region, and
results in a correspondingly negative or deficit view of NNS English. However, she also suggests that
there is some ambiguity in the attitudes of NNS English teachers towards NES norms. Jenkins interprets
this as an indication of the beginnings of a possible shift towards acceptance of other norms than NES,
and in particular emerging acceptance of ELF as a legitimate variety. Indeed given the vast number of
‘non-native speakers’ engaged in ELF communication on a daily basis in Asia, inner circle native
speaker norms should no longer be considered of relevance in such communication. Exactly what this
might entail for the form ELF communication takes in Asia will be examined below.
The study
To support and illustrate the theoretical discussion data will be presented from an empirical study of
English use conducted in Thailand. Thailand is part of the expanding circle of English, and currently
does not have its own codified variety of English (Butler, 1999; 2005; Watkhadarm, 2005), although
there is an informal folk variety known as ‘Thinglish’. Therefore, it seems reasonable to expect English
to function predominantly as a lingua franca for intercultural communication in Thailand (Kirkpatrick,
2007; Taylor, 2006). Indeed English is the most commonly used second language in a wide range of
domains. It is a compulsory second language in schools and in tertiary education and forms an important
part of the most recent Education Act (1999) and the National Education Curriculum (2002 cited in
Wongsothorn et.al. 2003). Wongsothorn et al. (1996: 93-95) found English the second most commonly
used language in the media, after Thai. English was also the most frequently used second/foreign
language in business both with native and non-native speakers. There is an overall perception of English
as an essential part of Thailand’s development and as a lingua franca to connect culturally, intellectually
and commercially with the rest of the world (Baker, 2008a; Foley, 2005; Wongsothorn et al, 2003). The
penetration of English in Thailand and the perception of its role in national development are features
shared with many other Asian contexts in which English functions as the main second or foreign
language (Nunan, 2003; Tsui and Tollefson, 2007).
The Linguistics Journal – Special Edition Page 12