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EIL, ELF, Global English: teaching and

learning issues
a a
Kun Zhang & Chit Cheung Matthew Sung
a
University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong
Published online: 25 Jan 2013.

To cite this article: Kun Zhang & Chit Cheung Matthew Sung (2013) EIL, ELF, Global English:
teaching and learning issues, Language and Intercultural Communication, 13:1, 117-120, DOI:
10.1080/14708477.2012.761329

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Vol. 13, No. 1, 117
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BOOK REVIEW

EIL, ELF, Global English: teaching and learning issues, edited by Cesare Gagliardi
and Alan Maley, Bern, Peter Lang, 2011, 376 pp., £69.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-3-
0343-0010-0

Studies on World Englishes, English as an International Language (EIL), and

English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) have been growing rapidly in the last two
decades. In particular, the growth of research in this area can be attributed to the
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fact that English is used for communication not only among native speakers of
English and between native speakers and non-native speakers, but also among non-
native speakers worldwide. EIL, ELF, Global English: Teaching and Learning Issues
comprises a collection of papers which contribute to the discussion of EIL and ELF
with regard to a variety of issues, ranging from the different varieties of English
spoken around the world to the appropriate methodologies used for the teaching of
English in the global context. It consists of 18 chapters which approach EIL and
ELF from a diversity of perspectives.
Section I, entitled ‘EIL, ELF, Global English,’ presents two chapters with very
different views towards the rise of English as a global language. Maley’s chapter,
which is very well argued, examines the reality of EIL/ELF from a teacher’s
perspective. His stance towards ELF is clearly critical, as he argues that the ELF
project is inoperable in the classroom in practice because of the attitudes and
vested interests of learners and teachers. He suggests that it is important to have a
recognized and reliable model for both teachers and learners. While recognizing the
value of raising learners’ awareness of the existence of other varieties of English,
Maley suggests that the position of ELF in the ‘strong’ form is statistically unreliable,
theoretically untenable, and practically unworkable. In the next chapter, Castorina
promotes the use of an ‘English Euroregister,’ a hybrid language which lacks most of
the idiomatic features, oddities typical of a national language, as a suitable vehicle for
the transition to plurilingualism in Europe. As he points out, the aim of language
instruction is not to achieve native-speaker-like competence, but a plurilingual
competence that prioritizes intelligibility.
Section II is concerned with the teaching of English in the global context.
Lopriore examines language teacher education at university level and the implica-
tions for non-native teachers. She suggests that language teachers should have a
good knowledge of the English language, an awareness of themselves as competent
non-native teachers, and more self-confidence in their professional identity. In the
next chapter, Hartle analyzes some critical issues concerning English teaching in
Europe, with special reference to the context of Italy. According to the author,
students should learn the standard model of English before ‘they can develop their
own successful variety of English’ (p. 102), whereas teachers should teach the native-
speaker model in the classroom. However, the author rightly notes that the ultimate
goal for English teaching is to empower ‘the learners to make choice about the
language they use’ (p. 102). Following Hartle, Steinbeck’s chapter focuses on the
 118 Book review

teaching of oral language skills and especially on how oral language skills should be
developed. She points out that these skills, despite being essential to the development
of literacy, have been neglected. It is argued that language learners need a clear and
consistent speech model for pedagogical purposes. In her chapter, Taviano examines
the impact of EIL in relation to the pedagogy of translation. The author suggests
that translation is ‘a much more complex phenomenon of human communication’
than a ‘process of transferring a text from one language system to another’ (p. 129).
It is also argued that students of translation have to be more aware of the nature of
EIL as a hybrid language, be able to redefine the contexts and cultures in which
hybrid texts are produced, and shift their role from a translator to an editor. In the
next chapter, Buckledee argues for the need to switch gradually towards an ELF
model in learning English. In order to better understand the status quo of an ELF
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model in English materials, he investigated three coursebooks published in the UK

with a focus on three features, namely, pronunciation models, cultural contents, and
the presence of colloquial English. The results of the study revealed some interesting
findings: the authors of the three English coursebooks attempted to ‘make the
cultural and lexical content of their materials appropriate for all learners, including
those who use or will use their English with other non-native speakers,’ but they
ignored the ‘most thoroughly researched and codified aspect of English as a Lingua
Franca, that of phonology’ (p. 150). In the next chapter, Vettorel goes on to examine
the relationship between ELF and the representation of culture in English textbooks
in Italy. In the analysis of the textbook corpus, she found that the representations
of culture in textbooks ‘set themselves within the perspective of ELF as a means of
international and intercultural communication, de-linked from a specific, particular,
national and purely native-speaker culture’ (p. 178).
Section III deals with the learning of the English language in the global context.
Grazzi’s chapter discusses the role of language transfer (LT) in the development of
English as a global language today. Based on the analysis of a corpus of written
‘errors’ produced by a group of Italian students, she argues convincingly that
‘LT reveals the students’ tendency to express their socio-linguistic identity as non-
native speakers’ (p. 190). At the end of the chapter, she discusses the pedagogic
implications with respect to the acceptability of the learner’s ‘deviant forms,’
suggesting that teachers should make subjective decisions according to ‘the specific
aim of each given communicative task’ (p. 204). Busa’s chapter compares the
prosodic patterns of English produced by native speakers of English and Italian
speakers. It was found that ‘when producing English utterances, Italians fail to
differentiate syntactic structures through intonation, and do not mark prominent
syllables through sentence stress, nor assign longer duration to emphatic syllables’
(p. 218). Busa therefore suggests that the use of speech-analysis software can help
Italian speakers compare their utterances with those of native English speakers and
provide them with audio-visual feedback. Following Busa, Finardi’s chapter points
out that speaking is the most important of the four language skills. She argues that
working memory capacity plays an important role in second-language speaking and
mediates second-language speech development and acquisition. In the next chapter,
Yang argues that Chinese students’ difficulty of mastering English vocabulary can be
attributed to the differences between patterns of thoughts in the two languages,
namely, English and Chinese.
Finally, Section IV explores the relationships between EIL/ELF and teachers and
learners. Pedrazzini and Nava’s chapter reports on a study of non-native English
 Language and Intercultural Communication 119

teachers’ actual use of English in Italy in order to find out about the linguistic
features of their English when they use English as a lingua franca. By analyzing the
interactions produced by five EFL teachers who are from different first-language
backgrounds, the authors conclude that the English produced by five EFL teachers
shares some common features with other EFL speakers, but the features identified in
this study, such as ‘correctness’ and ‘over-directness,’ are closely related to their roles
in their social and professional context. In Sifakis and Sougari’s chapter, the authors
address the question as to how ELF teachers in the expanding-circle countries, such
as Greece, integrate ELF teaching in their local teaching context. Based on the
questionnaire data collected in Greece, they analyzed both subjective and objective
hindrances in relation to the integration of ELF in teaching. It was found that
teachers of the expanding circle followed the inner-circle norms when teaching
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English. However, these teachers were aware of the reality of world Englishes and
believed that ‘such a reality should be part of their curriculum’ (p. 314). In the next
chapter, Altan investigates the question of how pre-service English teachers in six
universities in Turkey perceived the English language and globalization. He argues
that teachers’ beliefs about ELF have a great impact on their teaching attitudes,
teaching methods, and actual teaching behavior. Leonardi’s chapter moves on to
discuss the teaching of non-native varieties of English in the classroom, particularly
with regards to the question as to whether non-native varieties of English should
be taught in the classroom is debatable. To complement Jenkin’s Lingua Franca
Core (LFC), the author proposes to compile ‘a written language core making a
distinction between impeding and non-impeding errors’ (p. 345), that is, ‘Global
Written Language Core’ (GWLC). In the chapter, she also discusses some difficulties
of codifying such a global written language core and the role that non-native
English teachers can play in teaching. In the final chapter of the volume, Zanfei
argues that a native-speaker standard is necessary for the purpose of language
testing. While rejecting the strong form of ELF, she suggests that receptive
competence in non-native varieties of English should be recognized.
All in all, this volume explores various prominent issues surrounding EIL
and ELF, particularly with regard to teaching and learning. It represents a valuable
and timely addition to the emerging literature on EIL and ELF, as well as to the
studies of sociolinguistics and educational linguistics. However, the book is not
without its limitations. For example, we would have liked the editors to clarify the
definitions of EIL and ELF in the introductory chapter, since these terms are often
used in many of the chapters without any explanations. Within a relatively new field
of research, there is a need to explain these terms in more detail at the outset. In
addition, the quality of editing leaves much to be desired, as typos, missing references
and inconsistent citation/referencing styles are evident in the volume. Another
criticism is that most of the contributions to the volume revolve around the
European context, especially Italy. It would have been more comprehensive if the
volume contained more contributions about the ELF situation in the expanding-
circle countries in Asia and Africa. Overall, however, EIL, ELF, Global English:
Teaching and Learning Issues will certainly offer valuable food for thought with
regards to the teaching and learning of English in the global context. While some
readers may be slightly disappointed with the lack of in-depth analysis of naturally
occurring intercultural interactions in which English is used as a lingua franca, the
discussion on the relationship between language and culture in the pedagogical
context could provide valuable insights into many issues surrounding intercultural
 120 Book review

communication. For example, a number of contributions (i.e. Vettorel, Buckledee,

Pedrazzini and Nava) also elucidate the role of culture in intercultural communica-
tion and analyze the use of specific linguistic features which contribute to achieving
mutual understanding among interlocutors through the use of English. The volume
is, therefore, of great value to researchers who are interested in the global use of
English, as well as to teachers and students of English.

Kun Zhang and Chit Cheung Matthew Sung

University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Email: c.c.m.sung@hku.hk
# 2013 Kun Zhang and Chit Cheung Matthew Sung
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