Interviews.

October 2006.

Dr. Francis Mangubhai
University Southern Queensland

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1) Bio

Francis Mangubhai began his career as a teacher of maths and English before moving and working for a Ministry of Education developing ESL programs for the school system. Later he worked at the University of the South Pacific developing ESL curriculum in the South Pacific. When he moved to Australia, he set up the English Language Centre at the University of
the Southern Queensland and then began their applied linguistics and TESOL programs, which are offered on campus and by distance. He was, until recently, the Head of Centre for Language Learning and Teaching.

(2) What positive developments have you seen over the recent past in SLA teachings and theory?

I see that current research is much more theory-driven and that, in a sense, is understandable. Early research looked at many factors and it was this research that led to theorising. Recent research is showing the complexity of second language learning and the many (quite diverse) factors that impinge upon the eventual outcome(s).

(3) Which modern linguist do you think is the most important for language teachers to study?

I think that Michael Halliday is the linguist who has most to offer language teachers. His work, I think, was quite critical in discourse analysis, because he was one of the first to provide some tools with which to approach discourse.

(4) What is your stance/views on the statement, "The local culture plays a significant part in the SLA process."

I agree with this statement if the term "SLA process" is interpreted broadly and by that I mean that the term must refer to more than the cognitive processes that are involved in second language acquisition. At the level of cognitive processes I do not see any differences because we are all hard-wired the same. But the way the input reaches those
cognitive processes can be influenced by particular cultures and contexts. In this sense, the local culture does indeed play a significant role in the SLA process.

(5) Do you think any Approach (Communicative, Task based Learning, etc.,) has significant benefits for SLA in Asia?

If the purpose of learning a second language is to use it, then the more communicative approaches are likely to produce those outcomes more than a program that is solely focussed on grammatical knowledge of the second language. However, for the communicative approaches to be successful, teachers have to have fairly high levels of proficiency in the second language. If their SL proficiency is limited, then communicative
approaches are likely to fail

(6) Universal grammar, Critical period hypothesis are two of the major theories from the recent past in SLA history. What do you see the future debate including?

I see much of our future knowledge about SLA coming out of
neurolinguistics, and topics like memory, incidental learning, and the biology of emotions playing a part in explaining SLA.

(7) There is an evolving view that EIL (English as an International Language) will replace EFL/ESL/TESOL teachings and that language educators will have to reevaluate their thinking as to SLA theories and teachings. How do you see the future of EIL?

I don't think you can link SLA theories and teaching to whether the variety of language is local, regional or international. The matter of which variety of language to teach has more to do with sociolinguistics and power structures than with SLA theories. The latter are concerned
with explaining how SLA occurs.

(8) USQ runs an on-line Masters course. Can you give brief overview of the course and who the course would be useful to:-

USQ offers a Graduate Certificate in Teaching Second Languages, a Master of Applied Linguistics, a Master of TESOL (all three of which are by coursework) and two Masters level honours courses which includes research and a dissertation. These courses can be studied on campus, or by distance (and in some cases from 2007) or what, we call, web-based
course, where most, if not all, materials, are on-line. The core courses cover the minimum a language teacher should know: what is language, how second languages are learned, and how we might go about teaching them, taking into account what we know about language and how they are learned. Then the electives cover a range: language testing, discourse analysis,
syllabus design and materials writing, CALL, internet-based language teaching, bilingualism, sociolinguistics, as well as special project units through which teachers can focus on an area of personal interest. The programs have been developed for second language teachers, especially those involved in EFL/ESL teaching.