Rey Mark M.

Cabrera MAEd-ELT March 19, 2021

Table of Contents

Name of Study Page Number

1.English As A Lingua Franca: ------------------------------------------------------1-2

2.English as a Lingua Franca: Teachers' Discourses on ------------------------------- 3-4

3.The English as a Foreign Language / Lingua Franca Debate: ----------------------5-6

4.Introducing English as a Lingua Franca (ELF): Precursor--------------------------- 7-8

5.Lingua Franca: Chimera or Reality? ------------------------------------------ 9-10

6. English as a Lingua Franca: A Teacher’s Perspective------------------------------11-12

7. English as a Lingua Franca from the classroom to the classroom---------------13-14

8. “To ELF or not to ELF?” (English as a Lingua Franca): That’s the --------------15-16
question for Applied Linguistics in a globalized world.

9. ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN

10. English as a lingua franca in higher education: Implications for EAP----------19-20

11. English as a Lingua Franca: A threat to Multilingualism--------------------------21-22

12. ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA AND INTERPRETING---------------------------23-24

13. English as a Lingua Franca and Its Implications for -----------------------------25-26

14. English as a Lingua Franca: Reflections on ELF-Related Issues ----------------27-28

15. ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION-----29-30

16. English as a lingua franca: analyzing research frameworks in ------------------32-32

17. English as a lingua franca: interpretations and attitudes-------------------------33-34

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Rey Mark M. Cabrera MAEd-ELT March 19, 2021

A Synthesis:
ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA: THEORY AND PRACTICAL

IMPLICATIONS

English as a language of the many, serves a lot of functions, not only for

communication but for all the daily activities that we are engaged in. From the

moment we log-in to our computers and cellphones, using those applications like

social media over the web or internet, down to buying some important stuffs, or

even going to somewhere else that we do not know, it is indeed evident and

recognizable that English dominated the world. Those above mentioned-minimal

functions, described English as a lingua franca of the humanity, play a vital role

for survival, especially me, an alien persona, living, working and striving in a

foreign soil, Thailand.

As a language teacher, I believed that English, as a lingua franca, is the

key to effective and efficient tool for communication among countries, and an

essential enigma to end war (which I believed that the root of wars is due to lack

of effective communications that resulted to conflict and misunderstanding of

many counties). These are my philosophies when I teach here in Thailand.

Children are struggling to learn English as their Second Language Acquisition

(L2), which has been mentioned in this study that, Thailand according to

Kachru’s three circles of English, belonged to Expanding circles or a country that

learns English as a second language and come from countries that have not

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given English any primary status but use English to a great extent for

international communication.

Based on the result of this study, many students have a background idea

or information that English is the lingua franca of the world. And if I am going to

correlate this to the present environment where I teach English to Second

Language Speakers (L2), only 3 out of 10 students whom I have had handled

before knew that it is the English language viewed as the tongue of the many.

This is because of the three main reasons which I think very evident and

common in my teaching environment. First, students are not exposed to English,

as a medium of expression and communication. Second, many of them are

accustomed to their cultures and traditions, which English holds no place for

that, and third is their idea for nationalism. The third reason sounds controversial

to me, at first, I thought it was just of being patriotic but in the wider picture

among Thai students, not all, their idea of learning English is just for

complimentary because according to them, to some whom I interviewed, English

is a dead language, so why they should study it if they have their own unique

style of communication.

Nonetheless, English as a Lingua Franca of the world is being viewed and

recognized depending on the context and settings. Many recognized it as

important as it is, but for some, it is just a small piece of the whole that makes

native and non-native speakers understand each other.

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A Synthesis:

English as a Lingua Franca: Teachers' Discourses on

Accent and Identity

Accent plays a vital role and a key towards better understanding and to

make utterances more comprehensible and intelligible. Every speaker around the

globe has an accent, a way of pronouncing words that indicates their

geographical or social background. Although the production of specific vowels

and consonants is a key component of a particular accent, including rhythmic

stress and intonation, also plays apart. Deviations from a familiar accent in any

of these features can cause difficulties for the listener, although evidence

indicates that prosodic differences have a greater effect on comprehension than

segmental differences. A variety of factors have been found to affect the

comprehension of utterances produced with an unfamiliar accent, including

grammatical complexity, familiarity with the topic and with a particular speaker.

A speaker’s accent may elicit positive or negative reactions in the listener,

depending on the stereotypes associated with a particular ethnic group, and

listeners with negative attitudes towards an accent tend to rate the speaker as

more difficult to understand.

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As a language teacher, every component of a certain language is very

important to effectively deliver message in an utterance. Teachers should and

must be aware that students or learners are diverse, means came from different

backgrounds. Learning one specific language, especially English cannot be fully

attained over one night. It took patience and perseverance. Acquiring new

language is a process, it is indeed a developmental. These facts were true and

legit when I came here in Thailand, where my present working environment

takes place. My students can hardly learn English especially when it comes to

basic macro skills-listening, reading, writing and most especially in speaking with

correct pronunciation with accent. I still remember when I first stepped-in the

Thai classroom. There was a moment of silence in my whole period of teaching

because for them, they cannot really understand what I teach. I tried to reflect

on myself especially in the way I deliver my lesson and it seemed that everything

is all right. And I only realized after a week, that it was my accent then that

hinders my learners to understand my lesson. I tried to make my accent more

mutually incorporated in their Thai accent, but I always try to make them use

and be exposed to more generic accent for everyone.

This study is somewhat correlated to what I have had experienced here in

the Expanding Second Language Country. We, language teachers, must be

flexible enough to look for some alternatives to bridge the gap between native

and nonnative accents. Let us bear in mind that in every county or nation, they

have their own sets of rules and accent identity that makes them different from

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one another. Respect with diligence is a key to harmonize “accent wars” among

learners of English.

A Synthesis

The English as a Foreign Language / Lingua Franca Debate:

Sensitising Teachers of English as a Foreign Language Towards

Teaching English as a Lingua Franca

English the world’s language today, used in tourism, business and

commerce, trade and travel, and has been a key factor in the speed of

globalization in the 20th Century. For this reason, its learning has become

mandatory in many countries and Thailand has not been the exception. This is

reflected by the fact that in the late 2000’s, the Thai government Ministry of

Education, initiated an agreement of cooperation for the improvement of English

language teaching and learning in the basic education learning programs. This

agreement includes to attract foreign English teachers to come and work in

Thailand.

Having said that, many teachers coming from different regions come to

Thailand to work and live as a Teacher. There we have from British, Americans,

Australian, Philippines, South African and even Russian or South American

teachers who find their way and luck of finding schools to teach English. But

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there is a huge question mark from the government and especially from some

schools, about the hiring and choosing of the right candidate for the English

Teaching positions, and I am glad to adhere those few here. First, I believed that

there is a racial discrimination in hiring a right candidate. You have a low chance

of landing a position if your color is black or tanned. Many parents, especially in

private schools, would prefer white colored-skin “farang/falang” teachers to be

the teacher of their child, because they thought that all white colored-skin

teachers are good enough to teach their kids. Second, in relation to previous

point, let us talk about qualifications. Even you hold outstanding qualification and

you came from Asia, I refer to the teacher candidates from Philippines, still some

hiring committees will choose and prefer candidates from the western regions.

Why? Again, because of your skin color. They will still prefer western candidates

even if they are high school graduates and don’t have any teaching experiences.

And third, salary. Filipino teachers are still less compensated as compare to other

white nationalities. I have known a friend, who happened to be a masters

graduated but still received lesser than a white high school graduate.

Those key points I had laid out above are very likely similar to what the

author of this study pointed out. One of the reasons why Thailand is still ranked

lowest when it comes to English proficiency is that because of the

mismanagement of the hiring process. What boils down here is that, right

teachers play a vital role in teaching English. Right teacher does not mean you

came from English Countries but teachers who are qualified and dedicated to

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teach English not only as a subject but an important factor for student’s personal

development (which I refer to students’ ability to use and practice English in

real-life scores) and for the country’s progress as a whole.

A Synthesis:

Introducing English as a Lingua Franca (ELF): Precursor and

partner in intercultural communication.

Attaining proficiency in English gives someone the perfect opportunity to

understand the modern society. English is depicted as a form of cultural capital.

English enables people to communicate effectively across various lingual borders.

The main purpose of a language is to promote communication; however, the

globalization of English has proved this statement to be wrong. Language is no

longer for communication mainly, but rather, there is a hidden agenda behind

the struggling to learn and attain a new language. Research indicates that the

globalization of English has led to the emergence of a new sense of identity

where the people proficient in English regards themselves to belong to a certain

group. Cultural identity is mainly influenced by language therefore, the new class

that is formed by the proficient second English language speakers in the third

world countries like Africa and Asia is mainly influenced by the English language.

Scholars refer to English as a kit that signals membership in a specific group.

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But what will happen to those countries whose proficiency is being

outshined due to various reasons, like Thailand and the neighboring countries?

As a language teacher here in Thailand, it is true that learning English here is no

longer for communication alone, but more on economic and tourism purposes.

But what made it difficult among Thai students to learn this specific language?

Let us clarify some points to consider in order to decipher this issue or point.

First, culture accommodation. Thai culture is unique and considered as one of

the conservative cultures among cultures. People speak their native tongue as a

prerequisite to the community. Some Thai family are not open to learning new

language which brought the government down in implementing “English

Programs” in schools. Second, social class orders among culture community. It is

indeed evident that government heavily rely extra efforts in urban communities

than the rural ones. Which should be balanced and compulsory to all levels. And

last, cultural mindset. I would say that some of my students are close minded

when it comes to learning English. They prefer to use their mother tongue than

to practice and indulge English in their daily conversations. In general, it is the

Thai Culture that dictates the peak of its English Development. A very

challenging leap towards culture and English language.

With regards to the presented study, it was mentioned that English plays

a vital role for intercultural communication. But it is really unlikely possible to my

present working environment since my students are less motivated in learning

the second language. This is a very challenging efforts to the whole Thai

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community to really accept that world and our community is changing. And part

of that changes is Language. The government together with the whole

community should work hand in hand in order to achieve their educational

mission among Thai students, and that is to be a global students who can

communicate efficiently and effectively towards different nations around the

globe.

A Synthesis:

Lingua Franca: Chimera or Reality?

English language teaching (ELT) has been a matter of prestige in Thailand

since past. There is a growing trend of learning and using it with an assumption

that English provides wider global socio-economic opportunities. However, the

condition of teaching English has not been improved as is expected. One of the

major reasons behind this, in my opinion, is the faulty planning of English

language teaching programme in general. The improvement in the teaching and

learning of the English language should start from the beginning or foundation.

If the foundation itself is poor, large building cannot be constructed on it.

Similarly, learners should be able to produce correct sentences in isolation before

they can write a paragraph. In the context of Thai, learners at the higher level

who are supposed to have reached a certain developmental level are found to be

far below that level. This is due to the fact that learners are promoted to upper

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levels without having the required level of proficiency at their lower level. In

other words, they are promoted to the next level without assessing what they

are supposed to learn. One of the factors behind this is the faulty examination

system. For example, in our examination system students can make fair guesses

of the questions that are to be asked in the exam by looking at the list of the

questions asked previously. They may learn them by heart and reproduce them

in the exam.

So, based on the points I laid down above, English as a lingua franca is

still a story of a fairy tale that takes too long to have a “they live happily ever-

after” ending. Children take this subject for granted and they do not even

appreciate the importance of English as a primary source for global

communication. This is because of some community and cultural factors that

made them difficult to recognize the importance of it.

In the other hands, it is mentioned in this study that English as a lingua

franca is for temporary and diminishing. This is true because our world today is

diverse. Learning English alone is not enough, though we consider this as a

tongue of the many, but learning your own language and other more languages

is better. Today, multilingualism is very evident in all corners of the world. In

Thailand alone, many immigrants are starting to settle down for good because of

some personal conditions. Almost a half of the population living and working in

the capital are most likely coming from the neighboring countries, Myanmar,

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Philippines, Malaysian, Singapore, Chinese, Cambodia and not to mention the

flock of western countries like Americas and Pacific.

The bottom-line in this study and to my personal experiences as a

language teacher is that, English as a lingua franca is considered to be a boon

for many and a bane for some conservative countries. Boon for economic

purposes and bane due to cultural identity. English as a lingua franca is also

diminishing, this is true by the fact that our community is diverse. Our fast-

changing community consists of different languages that made it challenging to

English proponents to compose one major language for all. Multilingualism

should also to be considered and observed because the more languages you

knew the more the chance you understand other cultures, perspectives and

dispositions.

A Synthesis:

English as a Lingua Franca: A Teacher’s Perspective

Teachers are the key to achieve the goals of English as a lingua franca.

The global demand for English has broad implications for teacher preparation in

lingua franca settings. Given that more than 50% of all English teachers globally

are nonnative speakers of English, the quality of their professional preparation

and their degree of language proficiency are key issues. Teachers of English

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need to understand the implications of the unprecedented spread of the

language and the complex decisions they will be required to take.

What students need most from their language classes affects how we

teach. But to what extent do we consider students' needs when it comes to

pronunciation? How often do we stop to consider the needs of students who are

learning English to mainly communicate with other non-native speakers? In this

situation, English is used as a lingua franca (ELF) - a common language between

people who do not share the same native language. So, their needs are quite

different to students who go to the UK, for example, and want to integrate

within that culture and so may want to sound as much like a native speaker as

possible. The priority for students using ELF, on the other hand, is to be as

intelligible as possible to the people they are communicating with. This does not

necessarily mean sounding like a native speaker. This is very true in the

teaching-learning environment I am with now. Students are trying to cope up

the correctness in sounding but due to cultural barriers and structure of their

own language, it is pretty hard for them to master it.

This study which focuses on the qualifications among EFL teachers, which

coined the need of recalibration and modification when it comes to training and

experience. There is a present division between native and nonnative speakers.

Let say in my present ground, if you are nonnative English teacher, you have the

low chance of teaching English as a subject, rather you will be given subjects

that not required technical skills in teaching it, like Science, Maths, and PE. But,

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if you are white-toned skin, and you were born from the west, though you have

not that good qualifications as compared to nonnative teachers, automatically

you will be hired and will be given technical English subject.

This is what I see as one of the problems when it comes to teaching

English as a lingua franca. There should be no discrimination among native and

nonnative speakers. Hiring process should not be judged by race, by looks or by

the color of your skin. Instead, teacher trainings must be given the spotlight.

Trainings for both native and nonnative speakers are very crucial towards the

attainment of English as lingua franca of the world.

A Synthesis:

English as a Lingua Franca from the classroom to the classroom

English language education and the lack of quality in its practical

application in Thailand has a very common topic for discussion over the years.

The reason this persists as a topic of discussion is simply that very little

improvement has been noted in overall English ability among Thai students

despite a series of policy changes instituted by the Ministry of Education.

There is a story about one college instructor/teacher who keeps on asking

as to who should be blamed of the poor reading performance of his students.

One time, he found out that his freshman college student was not able to read

and comprehend one single sentence in English. What he did was that, he

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blamed the teachers from the senior high where the student graduated and

asked them what happened to their instructions? Why they weren’t able to make

this student read and learn English. Then this teacher was amazed on the

responses of the senior high teachers. They said that it was not their fault but it

was a mistake from the Junior High school teachers. Teachers from the junior

high responded and they said that it was not actually their fault, but the fault of

the grade 6 teachers. According to them, why theses teachers from elementary

marked the student “passed’ even though he cannot read and comprehend

English. Then the elementary grade 6 teachers reacted, they said it was not their

fault too. It was actually a fault from the kindergarten teachers where the true

foundation of learning began. Surprisingly, kindergarten teachers insisted that,

actually it was not their fault. The persons who should be blamed of this problem

are their TEACHERS from the college. They said that, their College Instructors or

university professors did not train them well when it comes to proper training

and instruction on how to be an effective and efficient teacher.

This particular scenario is a never-ending blaming story among the

teachers and their instruction. It is true that the main reason why there is a need

when it comes to English performance among our learners, is that there is

lacking in the teacher-education programs in all educational institutions.

Teachers must be given enough exposure and training to the field. The

government shall focus on giving support and enough budget for the

improvement of all the possible trainings and programs for student-teachers that

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will enhance their skills in their chose field. It is the best time to recalibrate

curricula and align to international standards.

The study presented in this paper mentioned that teachers have a great

impact to the learning outcomes of our students. It is indeed relevant to enhance

and improve them to become efficient and effective. Filipino teachers are the

best teachers around the world. Many countries prefer Filipino teachers to be

their knowledge-feeder for their local kids because aside from being smart and

versatile, Filipino teachers are passionate, desirable and have a strong sense of

responsibility. It is very true and proven as a foreign teacher here in Thailand

that we, Filipino teachers are one of a kind, but still needs to be trained,

enhanced and recalibrated towards the effective and efficient delivery of

instructions to our learners.

A Synthesis:

“To ELF or not to ELF?” (English as a Lingua Franca): That’s the

question for Applied Linguistics in a globalized world.

This article emphasizes more on the technical aspects of teaching English

as a Lingua Franca. It is mentioned that there are more nonnative English

teachers than the native ones. Nonnative teachers have a different way of

knowledge acquisition, especially in English grammar, phonology and

pronunciation.

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To make things clear, as a language teacher here in Thailand, since my

target learning outcome for my learners is for them to communicate effectively, I

don’t mind their grammar or even the way they construct patterns. I just want to

make sure that they were able to express something base on their own and send

effectively the message they wanted to give and receive/perceive the message

from the other speaker. But sometimes, I find it so hard to teach them the

Target Language (English) since it is their second language. I tried a lot of

interventions in my classes. There I danced, I sung, I drawn something on the

board, and even use all the possible signals, gestures and bodily movements just

for them to understand and get what I am trying to say or teach. And there

comes one day, I found out one big mistake that I never recognized before, the

sounding and pronunciation. I admit the fact that I am a nonnative English

teacher and it is very hard to be understood by my students. I have to make

sure that I will be producing sounds that are perfect and correct so then they will

learn the right way. My first month of teaching, I tried to copy their accents, Thai

accents, and I found it so hard. And that is one of the mistakes that I have done,

instead of copying their accents or sounds, just be focused more on the

standards.

But as a language teacher, it is not the grammar and soundings that really

matter. It is the ability of the students to send and receive the message so thus

communication will be attained effectively. But then again in some restrictions,

they are somewhat important. Sounding or proper pronunciation and grammar

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are inseparable to teaching English as a Lingua Franca. But in the broader sense,

teaching English as a lingua franca can be taught effectively and efficiently

because I believe as a language teacher, it is a stand-alone idea.

A Synthesis:

ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA:

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE TEACHING

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If we want to bridge the gap, we must begin in the core. Teachers are

very important for the learning process, and their key roles are needed to make

these expected outcomes into place. They are undeniably the major player in the

academe and a mitigator of gap, to make all children, if possible, literate.

We all know the fact that educational systems vary depends on the goals

of one specific country. It is indeed, the government, who fulfills and enacts laws

to make education, in all possible norms, be attained of all of its constituents.

The government creates, allows and produce systematic educational programs

thru its prescribed curriculum to all levels and areas. But how far the government

achieve its goals when it comes to educational programs? This is a very question

that all teacher-education program seeks to advice and ask for the answer from

the government.

As a language teacher, I would say that this study is very timely, when it

comes to the educational goals of the government. There is a need for the

trainings and developments among pre-service teachers. History will tell us that

our educational system, as compare to other progressive countries, is very

impractical and unstable. Our curriculum, in fact, faced a lot of challenges and

changes. Philippine educational sectors tested and implemented a series of

curriculum revisions, which I think a big mistake from the history. From then, our

curriculum underwent a lot of revisions, we have Bilingualism, RBEC, BEC, SEC,

UBD, Kto12, which took a lot of confusions, not only in the students, but mostly

affected are the teachers.

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The study presented that teacher educational institutions must be given

importance. Teachers, especially the pre-service and in practice, should be

exposed to many materials that will enhance their skills and abilities to teach

English as a lingua franca. Teachers must be secured and equipped with proper

knowledge, especially in English, to be more effective and efficient. Also,

teaching the English as a lingua franca, as a subject must be taught by the

graduates of English fields, and not by any other fields.

And also, teacher educational institutions must provide programs that will

deepen and sharpen their teacher graduates by recalibrating their methods,

techniques and approaches. These institutions must be focused more on the field

and not more on the concepts. Teacher graduates should be given focused to be

fully equipped, because in return, they could produce quality education for all

students.

A Synthesis:

English as a lingua franca in higher education: Implications for EAP

The global dominance of the English language in higher education is not a

new subject. There has been extensive research into its effects on recruitment

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(both of staff and students), teaching and learning methods, and its impact

on academic writing and publishing the world over. English's position as the

lingua franca of higher education is met with more positive response than

negative.

It is true that English is very important for higher studies as with the help

of this language we become aware of new technologies as maximum details are

available today in English language only. So, it is a must for everyone to have

complete knowledge of this. When someone goes for higher studies English is

the most common language used everywhere, if one does not have good English

skills, he/she cannot opt for higher studies. Today, most of the publishing

companies are publishing books in English language only for students who are

studying for higher education. So, it is vital for every student to learn this as

without this it would not be possible to study at a higher level. One can achieve

success in any field because of English as the vocabulary and terminology used

in different fields like technology, medicine is available in English only. Apart

from schooling many competitive exams also reflect importance of English. The

reasons for this are simple. On the one hand, the globalisation of trade relies on

the widespread use of English. It’s the language of business, that we sometimes

call “Globish” (for ‘global English’), which is used everywhere. So it has to be

part of the educational baggage of those who want to participate in this very

connected world. “Globish” is very often mocked for its linguistic poverty; at the

end of the day, if it were taught at university, thus improving its general level

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maybe this would enable a more subtle and beneficial level of communication

that would increase mutual understanding, not only benefiting global trade!

A Synthesis:

English as a Lingua Franca: A threat to Multilingualism

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Multilingualism is a complex, vibrant and ever-intriguing phenomenon.

Today the significance of multilingualism has spilled over its local and private

roles into having a much broader, global importance and it is one of the most

essential social practices in the world. We live in a multilingual world. English

serves as the lingua franca for education, trade and employment, and is an

essential skill for anyone wanting to succeed professionally or academically in the

21st century. English offers enormous opportunities, and language policy rightly

focuses on how to give more equitable access to high levels

of English language proficiency so that these opportunities can be inclusive

rather than exclusive, open to all socioeconomic groups. But English is not

enough.

The role of compulsory education is critical and we need a language

education policy which both respects mother tongue heritage and also prepares

young people for a globalized world with English as a lingua franca. This has

implications for teacher education and curriculum design for state education at

both primary and secondary level,

and it is clear that more research is needed to discover how to accelerate the

development of high-level language proficiency in young people, perhaps with

new pedagogical models that avoid the low spoken proficiency outcomes of

many current foreign language programmes.

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This study is somewhat related to my present working environment, and

since I am teaching now here in Thailand, people and community might think

that studying English as a second language is a big threat to their cultural

identity. But in fact, according to the study, there is no problem or threat

between studying English as a Lingua franca and Multiculturalism. English as a

lingua franca does not override any languages or dialects but only serves as a

communication tool to bridge the gap of miscommunication and

misunderstanding. Therefore, studying English as a Lingua Franca is a must in

one country, especially here in Thailand to be more progressive and can go with

the flow and changes in these fast-changing communities in the global stage.

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A Synthesis:

ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA AND INTERPRETING

It might not surprise you to know that English is the most widely spoken

language in the world. This means that the ability to speak English comes with

many advantages that may make your life easier. A significant advantage of

having a good command of spoken English is that it increases your chances of

getting a job, as it is considered by many to be the primary language for

international business. Thus, it might be a good idea to take the time to invest in

learning English and improving your English language skills.

The globalized economy continues to demand for English language

proficiency. The English language skills are increasingly important in helping

individuals succeed in their jobs, and businesses to reach out to international

markets. But this demands in English might affect one job sector, translation job.

Since many of the people right now speak English, it is hard for the translation

industry to maximize their services.

One of the most famous shows around the globe and in the Universe, The

Miss Universe Show, where beautiful and phenomenal women around the globe

compete for one title. And one of the segments there is the Preliminary Speech

and the “question and answer” portion. Candidates have to answer the questions

correctly to impress the judges and to win the crown. But the problem there is

that, the questions are written and asked in English. So, what will happen to the

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ladies who cannot speak English and came from non-native English-speaking

countries? Yes, of course, they will ask for an interpreter. And that service that

the interpreter gives to that candidate will help her to win the crown by

translating her answer into the target Language which is English. But what will

happen if all those ladies speak English? Of course, translating as their job will

be diminished. In the broader perspective, proliferation of English around the

world may affect translation services or industry. The more the people able to

speak the target language the lesser their income will be.

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A Synthesis:

English as a Lingua Franca and Its Implications for Teaching English as

a Foreign Language

The importance of English as a world language, the advance of

technology and education reform envisaged by the new Thai Constitution are key

determinants for new developments for English language teaching and learning

in Thailand in this decade.

As a foreign language teacher here in Thailand, I experienced a lot of

troubles when it comes to implementation and facilitation of the desired outputs

of my students. They find it hard and difficult to understand what they listen

from me. Every day is a challenging task to instill in their minds the lessons that

I wanted to impart with them. So as a teacher, I modify my techniques and

strategies, for God’s sake and for the teaching-learning process, I made my

lessons simpler, even my pronunciation is a bit awkward, almost Thai accent,

because if I will not do that, they will not be able to understand.

One of the experiences that I will never forget in teaching here is that the

confusion I brought to them when I accidentally (if I may say) mispronounced an

English word (in Filipino word, since I am almost came from being Visayan, I

usually pronounce e as I, vis-à-vis). My students asked and consult me that my

pronunciation is wrong. I asked them how do they know, since it is a new word

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Rey Mark M. Cabrera MAEd-ELT March 19, 2021

to them. And they replied, their farang teacher (refers to native English teachers)

taught that correct sounding of that word.

What I realized after this is that, my students believed more on the native

speakers rather than the nonnative ones. It also implies that students prefer

native speakers (as mentioned on the study) when it comes to teaching. But

what made me also realized to them is that, it doesn’t matter how you

pronounced the single “letter” in a word as far as you understand intelligibly.

What my reply to above situation that brought confusion to my students is

that, l told them that there are a lot of accents around the globe. We have

Filipino accent, German accents, British Accents and many more. I added that,

the more the accents they know the more intelligible they are to communicating

other nationals. And also, the end-goal of studying English is not the grammar

per-see, but how you effectively send and receive the message and how good

are you in communicating others.

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A Synthesis:

English as a Lingua Franca: Reflections on ELF-Related Issues by

Pre- Service English Language Teachers in Turkey

Tremendous amount of money is spent on in-service training to give

teachers the additional skills needed to successfully teach students with diverse

needs, especially in teaching languages. These resources could be directed

elsewhere if teachers acquired this knowledge from their preservice training. Pre-

service teacher education programs are the first form of professional study that

individuals complete to enter the teaching profession. This training could present

a module on inclusive education, or demonstrate how to best respond to special

educational needs in the classroom. Teachers are increasingly faced with the

challenge of teaching English as a subject. There are many different views about

what language teachers need to know so as to be prepared to work in inclusive

classrooms. In order to be an effective language teacher in an inclusive program,

beginning teachers must be taught to understand and appreciate diversity of the

language and the importance of its different features.

As a Secondary English graduate, I found that there was a lack of support

from the school management when it comes to pre-service teaching. We,

students, focused more on the technicalities about the grammar, technicalities

and foundations of English language, without knowing how to utilize this target

language into a meaningful communication. Our pre-service training is more of

structure and not on purpose, grammar over communication and content over
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context. I must say that I am blind how to teach effectively the English as a

lingua franca, or for communication purposes.

Same thing happened when I was in the public schools. Teachers were

given voluminous task to be done: documentation, proposals, evaluation and

assessment, without proper training and workshops. Teachers especially English

are expected to use the target language effectively and transpire that skills to

their students. They are focused more on structure and not so much on purpose.

As teachers, we must teach the target language to impress, but it should be use

to express. Use the target language for communication, regardless of the

grammar and technicalities. Students must feel that its okay to commit errors in

grammar as far as they are able to send and receive the message clearly,

effectively and efficiently.

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A Synthesis:

ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA IN INTERCULTURAL

COMMUNICATION

English is used by many countries to communicate with one another. It

enables them to send and receive the message, by both parties, and vice versa.

In addition to improving, one’s overall English proficiency, people who have to

speak English at work often perform in an international and multicultural

environment, which requires good intercultural communication skills. At Nations

our role as training and communication experts is to help you communicate

better in English. In an international environment, good communication skills

typically also include an understanding of cross-cultural communication, including

cultural awareness and cultural competence.

Thus, this study reflects to where I am working now. As a language

teacher, English is very important to live here in Thailand. It is my medium of

communication, by all means. In the classroom, since Thai kids rarely use the

target language at home, there is a bit difficulty in teaching the target learning

outcomes. There must be a varied selection of methods and techniques that will

suite their skills, levels and interest.

But at the end of the day, as a teacher, we have to be sensitive enough to

their culture and identity. Perhaps for them learning English is for compliance,

(just my thoughts) it is vital to understand them. And just like other non-native

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English speaking countries, like Thailand, English is being used to communicate

and achieve specific main goal, in: economy, education, government policies,

tourism and different industries.

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A Synthesis:

English as a lingua franca: analyzing research frameworks in

international English, world Englishes, and ELF

This paper mainly focused on the similarities and differences among ELF,

IEL and WE. The author tentatively concluded that, WE and ELF are similar in

many ways but dissimilar in significant ones. The focus in WE is that of

sociolinguistic realities, of the range and depth of English language use in Outer

Circle countries especially. The focus in ELF/LFE is on finding the common

features that serve to identity that variety of English which is used as a language

of communication minus linguacultural minutiae.

The finding is very true nowadays, especially in my case as a foreign

language teacher here in Thailand, (as one of the countries that belong to the

outside circle according Kachru circle of English). In here, the usage of English is

mostly for conversation or for communication purposes. The ministry of

education focused more on teaching their learners to speak and use the

language for communicating others, since English is the language for tourism,

economy and industry.

Additionally, Thai people do not focus more on grammar and

pronunciations, unlike in the other countries like Philippines, faulty grammar and

improper soundings of words are a mortal sin, instead Thai kids are taught how

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to effectively send and receive the message during the conversation. Kids were

trained not to impress but to express their ideas and message.

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A Synthesis:

English as a lingua franca: interpretations and attitudes

Language is fluid. It changes over time. It replicates and duplicates a

million times. Just like English language, constantly changing and evolving,

creates new forms and structure, identity and content.

The study shows us the importance of ELF in the community of World

Englishes. It empathized that non-native speakers try to imitate the native ones,

especially in soundings and pronunciations. They prefer to speak like American

or British accents, since these two accents are predominant and ideal accents.

That is why some schools, especially here in Thailand, prefer to hire teachers

coming from those nations, to teach their kids the accent that they thought ideal

and correct.

This is one of the misconceptions that speakers from non-native countries

tend to behave and react about “accents”. Countries from the outer circle

(Kachru’s Circle) tend to copy and imitate accents from those countries,

American and British.

But as a language teacher, we should not be after “accents”, instead we

should teach kids how to communicate well regardless of accents what they

have. Each county has their own accent and it builds and signifies identity.

English as a lingua franca is used to be the medium of communication to all of

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the countries and not to brag one’s identity just because of faulty soundings of

words or pronunciation.

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