The Question of Global English-Language Teaching: A Turkish Perspective
The Question of Global English-Language Teaching: A Turkish Perspective
Keywords: globalisation & English Language Teaching (ELT) ,EIL, & the question of ownership of language
Rana Yildirim and Zuhal Okan
i‡ukurova University, Turkey
Bio Data
Rana Yildirim, an assistant professor in the ELT Department of i‡ukurova University, Turkey, holds an MA (TEFL) from Cukurova University and an MSc (TESP) and a PhD (TEFL) from Aston University, UK. Her research interests include situated learning, pre- and in-service teacher education, and teaching English to Young Learners.
Zi¼hal Okan holds a PhD degree from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England. She currently works as an Associate Professor at i‡ukurova University, Faculty of Education, ELT Department. Her research interests include discourse analysis, teacher education and educational technology
Much has been written on globalisation. It arouses different reactions in different people. Some regard it as an insidious way of penetration into cultures thus adopt a hostile attitude while others see it as an inescapable reality of modern times. This paper looks at the effects of globalisation in the area of English Language Teaching (ELT) with specific reference to Turkey. It begins with a conceptualization of the globalisation phenomenon in general. We then move to how it relates to linguistic concerns and its impact on how the English language is conceived. Here we deal with issues such as English as an international language (EIL), the question of ownership of such a language, the status of the native speaker as opposed to that of the non-native speaker of English, cultural content of ELT, appropriateness of methods and materials developed by Inner Circle for Turkish students. Where necessary, we refer to linguistic, cultural and teaching environment of English language teaching in Turkey, and the possible impact of the English language on the Turkish culture. In order to gain insights into the above mentioned issues in Turkish context, a questionnaire with ten open-ended questions has elicited teacher trainers perspectives working at ELT Departments of 12 different universities in Turkey. Additionally, 10 teacher trainers at i‡ukurova University have been interviewed. The paper presents the data together with pedagogical, ethical and methodological considerations that are suggested with reference to Turkish context.
See pages 54-66
[/private]Category: Main Editions, Volume 9 Issue 4
