In our increasingly globalised world, the ways we use language are constantly changing. In particular, research shows that our English language students are far more likely to interact with other non-native English speakers than native speakers. Even those who live and study in places like the United Kingdom, the United States or Australia are very likely to encounter a range of Englishes and a variety of accents in these increasingly multicultural countries. However, despite these changes to how language is being used, and the research that calls for a radical rethink of the native speaker-centric approach, classrooms still tend to focus on native speaker English in accent and form, which can create problems when students encounter Englishes that are unfamiliar to them. By inviting the world into the classroom through digital technologies, familiarising and normalising a range of world Englishes, including the variety of English spoken by the students themselves, teachers can better prepare their students for the challenges of living in a truly global environment. This presentation will look at some real examples of how an understanding of a range of Englishes can impact English learners and then give some practical examples of how teachers can ‘invite the world in’.
BROWN Amy has been working as an English language teacher in General, Business and Academic English for the past 18 years in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Vietnam, Australia and Japan. She completed a Master of Applied Linguistics (TESOL) from the University of New England in 2014, and has spent the past 4 years working in both the Academic and General English programs at the University of Adelaide English Language Centre. She has presented at TESOL Professional Development events in Australia in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney and at CamTESOL in Phnom Penh. She is currently lead teacher on the University of Adelaide Super IES program at Kansai University, Japan.
