Unit I Title: World Englishes and Global Communication

wikipedia.org

Overview

This unit is primarily designed for the students to understand that English has several
varieties, and these varieties differ linguistically and socio-culturally and how each
variety reflects the culture of its speakers and writers. In particular, the lessons and the
activities relate directly to students’ classroom needs and experiences. Moreover, the
exercises provided after each lesson can serve as a training ground where students
develop communication skills that will serve them throughout life.

Lesson 1: Varieties of the English Language

Duration: 1.5 Hours

Introduction:

English language, just like all other languages, is

not a pure language untouched by others. Its
popularity and importance being the lingua franca
have made it long influenced by contacts with a
wide range of languages in the world. Thus, people all over the
The world is using more and more varieties of English now popularly called World
Englishes.

Language specialists have classified and described the differences in the ways
language is used in different countries. Kirkpatrick (2007) distinguished and
presented these world Englishes between English as a Native Language (ENL),
English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a
Foreign Language (EFL). Kachru (2003) represented the growth and spread of
English into different circles: the inner circle where English is the native
language, the outer circle where English is the second language and which
consists of a large speech community with great diversity and distinct
characteristics, and the expanding circles where English is an international
language.
 Undoubtedly, writers and speakers from these classifications use English in
different ways according to the contexts where the English language is
employed.

Objective
s:
● Identify the concentric countries of World Englishes
● Compare the concentric circles of World Englishes
● Identify some peculiarities in the varieties of the English language that cause
potential problems for ESL and EFL learners.
● Explain how culture affects communication.
● Describe methods for improving cross-cultural communication.

Pretest:

flickr.com

True or False
Direction: Read the following sentences carefully. Write True if the sentence is
correct, and False if the sentence is incorrect.
True 1. Language and culture are so closely bound that we communicate the way
we do because we are raised in a particular culture and learn its language,
rules, and norms.
False 2. A first or native language does not influence the way a second or foreign
language is pronounced.
False 3. The varieties of American, British, and Canadian English are said to be the
first or native languages in Asian countries.
True 4. A lingua franca is the common language used by people of different
language backgrounds to communicate with others.
True 5. In the Philippines, Filipino is used as a national lingua franca to provide the
many In different peoples of the Philippines with a common language in
which to communicate with each other.
 False 6. People who speak British English accent are the most intelligent or
competent and those who spoke with Filipino accents are the least
intelligent.
False 7. All languages are pure, and they remain untouched by other languages.

True 8. Varieties of English have different pronunciations.

True 9. It is frequently noted that ESL and EFL suffer in their English writing more
than native speakers due to the absence of some English vowel and
consonant sounds in their native language.
True 10. English is the lingua franca of the world.

Lesson Proper:
ACTIVITY Communication Strategies
Students are given sufficient opportunities to develop
fluency in the target language through varied oral
communication strategies which include the following:
Best Classroom Diversity
Image Pinterest. ph

Story Construction Game.

This is a productive activity based on the principle of the information gap.
Students are divided into groups of five and each member is given one picture to
study. Each member will say one or two sentences about the picture he/she is
holding to come up with a story. It is in the negotiation that takes place during the
task that students use spontaneous talks.

ANALYSIS

Kachru’s Concentric Circles

 Source:
https://www.google.com/search?q=kachru
%E2%80%99s+concentric+circles&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH906PH9
06&oq=&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l8.12376350j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The WE has brought peculiarities that provide opportunities and challenges not only in
English language teaching and learning but also in global communication. Such
peculiarities that cause potential problems for ESL and EFL learners include the
following:

Phonology (a speech sound)

Some sounds are present in the speech inventory of one language which is not
available in the speech inventory of another language. For example, the Japanese do
not have the/l/ sound, so they substitute the sound of /l/with/r/ as in ‘gurufurendu’ for
girlfriend. Filipinos do not have long sounds in the English language such as /i/ for
eagle; /o/ for pole; and /u/ for chew, and the /ӕ / which leads, for example, to the cat
being pronounced ket. Korean do not have the English consonant sounds /f/ and /v/,
and /Ө / and /ɉ / which are pronounced as /p/, /b/, /t/, and /d/ respectively, thus phone is
pronounced pone.

Orthography (spelling)
 It is frequently noted that ESL and EFL students suffer in their English writing more
than native speakers due to the absence of some English vowel and consonant sounds
in their native or local language and the influence of their mother tongue. Research
categorizes four major spelling errors of non-native English language learners: omission
(leaving letters out), substitution (replacing letters with incorrect ones), transportation
(reversing the letter’s position), and insertion or addition (adding extra letters).

Examples:

1. omission gramar (grammar)

2. substitution saksopon (saxophone)
3. transportation beliefs (belief)
4. insertion or addition of forty (forty)

Syntax (arrangement of words)

English, Taiwan, French, and other languages use subject-verb-object (SVO) patterns;
Japanese, Korean, and Indian, use subject-object-verb (SOV), and Filipinos use verb-
subject-object (VSO).

Examples:

English: That snake killed the dog

S - V - O

Japanese: Sono habitat in o korosita.

S - O - V

Filipino: Pinatay ng ahas ang aso.

V - S - O

In Korean, grammatical categories have no clear correspondence with those in English.

This may result in Korean EFL students using a noun where English would have an
adjective. For example, I cannot come to school today because I am ill.

Semantics (word meanings)

Meanings of certain words or expressions in one language may differ in another

language. For example, the English meaning for the word ‘salvage’ is ‘to save’; to
Filipinos ‘salvage’ means ‘to kill”.
 Moreover, some ideas that are conveniently expressed with a single word in one
language may need an entire sentence in another language. For example, Hawaiian
‘aloha’ is a quick “Goodbye and/or Hello”, in which Filipinos will normally say “Kumusta
ka?” for Hello, and “Paalam or Mauna na ako” for Goodbye.

ABSTRACTION
Check your understanding of the lessons by answering the following questions:
1. Do you think the English we use in the Philippines are one variety of English
language?
If yes, give examples of English words that we use but are not present in other
varieties.

-Yes, here in the Philippines we use the term “Comfort Room” compared to the
term “Rest Room” used by other countries.

2. How do you feel when speaking with native speakers of English?

- I feel conscious and intimidated whenever I'm talking with someone fluent in
speaking in English.

3. How can you improve your spelling of English words as a non-native speaker of the
English language?

- Reading books was a massive help for me because it helps me to familiarize every
word.

4. What are the English words that you always have difficulty writing in correct
spelling?

-I get confused with a word that has a double letter in it, for example, in bookkeeping
I always put a single k letter.

APPLICATION

wikipedia.org
 Travel Agency Posters

Type: Target Language and Culture

This is a quiet activity in which pairs, or groups of three, create a poster of a custom or
tradition to be explained to the class. This activity encourages students to use
appropriate descriptive words to give vivid visual and narrative presentations of their
posters and is ideal also for the question and answer practice.

Materials Needed

● A list of target cultural traditions, such as wedding ceremonies, table manners, or

any specific local celebrations
● Magazines with pictures to cut out
● Newspapers to cut out letters or words
● Poster board, crayons or markers, paste or glue

Preparing the Activity

This activity creates cultural connections. Explain different types of traditions celebrated
in your province. Give several examples, and compare your local traditions to your
classmates’ own cultures. What are some good similarities to look out for?

Running the Activity

Students are going to make destination posters for a travel agency to attract tourists.

Posters include the name of the tradition and pictures that represent the tradition. As
students prepare their posters, they can share more details about each of the traditions.
Students may ask simple questions in the target language, such as: “How do they
dress?” “Where do they meet?” “How much does it cost to….?”

Once the posters are finished, one member of each group stands by their poster to give
a quick explanation to anyone who comes to look. The rest of the class move from
poster to poster while the creators explain the points on the poster and answer any
questions from the others.

The Airport VIP Lounge

Type: Impromptu Speech

Several people from different walks of life are waiting in the VIP lounge for a flight that
has been delayed because of bad weather.

Materials Needed
● Role cards
● Situation cards

Preparing the Activity

Students will have a group brainstorming on what kinds of people would use a VIP
lounge at the airport.
● A Prime Minister
● A famous movie star
● A world-famous boxer
● A prince or princess

Students make role cards for the characters, names, personality traits, income levels,
etc. They brainstorm about things that can happen in an airport that passengers always
complain about. For example:
● Security check
● Lost luggage
● Unpleasant ticket agents
● Extra fees
● others

Running the Activity

Two students will be randomly chosen.

Each of them has a role card and a situation card. They sit in the makeshift lounge
where there are five chairs set up. They first make small talk regarding the late flight.
They talk about a personal experiences based on their situation cards.
After two minutes, another student holding a role card and a situation card will join the
first two. He/she’ll change the subject according to his/her situation card. The others
share their ideas on the situation.
Two students are added every two minutes, with their roles and situation cards.
Once the last student has been complaining for two minutes, the activity stops and
starts with another two students.
Students rotate rapidly in this activity. A student will make a flight announcement to cue
the next student’s entrance.
(Applause from the class is encouraged every time a group ends before a new pair
restarts the activity.
 Reflection

firstgradefactory.blogspot.com

What is ethnocentrism? Why do we need to avoid ethnocentrism when addressing

audiences with diverse cultural, racial, or ethnic backgrounds?

-Ethnocentrism is judging others by our point of view. But why do we need to avoid it?
Everyone is ethnocentric because we always falsely assume others based on our own
experiences while it’s normal for people to assume because to assume is the natural
basis of our reality, so avoiding it is very hard but being aware that we are being biased
on our own beliefs is a huge help for us so we can’t subconsciously offend other people.
And it will build a better environment for you and that person to understand each other.

ARTICLE I based on:

https://anthkb.sitehost.iu.edu/ethnocen.htm

Suggested Readings

Abdeljaoued, Marii & Labassi, Tahar. (2020). English as the lingua franca of academic
publishing in
Tunisia. World Englishes, 39 (3), 1-14.
Aguilar-Sanchez, Jorge (2005). English in Costa Rica. World Englishes, 24 (2), 161-
172.

Delpit, Lisa and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy (eds.) (2002). The skin that we speak:
Thoughts on language and culture in the classroom. New York: New Press.
Devonish, Hubert (2007). Language and liberation: Creole language
politics in the
Caribbean (second edition). Kingston: Arawak.
Nero, Shondel (ed.) (2006). Dialects, Englishes, creoles,
and education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

https://cudoo.com/blog/different-varieties-of-english-language/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language/Varieties-of-English
https://www.thoughtco.com/world-englishes-1692509