Unit I Title: ​World Englishes and Global Communication

 
wikipedia.org

Overview 
 
This unit is primarily designed for the students to understand that English has several varities and these
varities differ linguistically and socio-culturally and how each variety reflects the culture of its speakers and
writers. In particular, the lessons and the activities relate directly to students’ classroom needs and
experiences. Moreover, the exercises provided after each lesson can serve as training ground where
students develop communication skills that will serve them throughout life.
 
Lesson 1: ​Varieties of English Language
Duration: ​1.5 Hours
Introduction:  
 
English language, just like all other languages, is not a pure
language untouched by others. Its popularity and importance being
the lingua franca have made it long influenced by contacts with a
wide range of languages in the world. Thus, people all over the
world are using more and more varieties of English now popularly called World Englishes.

Language specialists have classified and described the differences in the ways language is used in
different countries. Kirkpatrick (2007) distinguished and presented these world Englishes between
English as a Native Language (ENL), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a
Foreign Language (EFL). Kachru (2003) represented the growth and spread of English into
different circles: the inner circle where English is the native language, the outer circle where
English is the second language and which consists of a large speech community with great
diversity and distinct characteristics, and the expanding circles where English is an international
language.

Undoubtedly, writers and speakers from these classifications use English in different ways
according to the contexts where English language is employed.

Objectives: 
 
● Identify the concentric countries of World Englishes
● Compare the concentric circles of World Englishes
 ● Identify some peculiarities in the varieties of English language that cause potential problems to
ESL and EFL learners.
● .Explain how culture affects communication.
● Describe methods for improving cross-cultural communication.

Pretest: 

 
flickr.com
 
True or False  
Direction: Read the following sentences carefully. Write True if the sentence is correct, and False if the
sentence is incorrect.
​1. Language and culture are so closely bound that we communicate
the way we do because we are raised in a particular culture and learn its language, rules,
and norms.
​2. A first or native language does not influence the way a second or foreign language is
pronounced.
______3. The varieties of American, British, and Canadian English are said to be the first or native
language in Asian countries.
4. A ​lingua franca is the common language used by people of different language
backgrounds to communicate with other.
​5. In the Philippines, Filipino is used as a national ​lingua franca to provide the many different
peoples of the Philippines with a common language in which to communicate with each
other.
​6. People who speak British English accent are the most intelligent or competent and those
who spoke with Filipino accent are the least intelligent.
​7. All languages are pure and they remain untouched by other languages.
​8. Varieties of English have different pronunciations.
​9. It is frequently noted that ESL and EFL suffer in their English writing more than the native
speakers due to absence of some English vowel and consonant sounds in their native
language.
​10. English is the ​lingua franca​ of the world.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lesson Proper: 
ACTIVITY 
Communication Strategies 
Students are given sufficient opportunities to develop fluency in the
target language through varied oral communication strategies which
include the following:
Best Classroom Diversity Image pinterest.ph

Story Construction Game​.

This is a productive activity based on the principle of information gap. Students are divided into
groups of five and each member is given one picture to study. Each member will say one or two
sentences about the picture he/she is holding to come up with a story. It is in the negotiation that
takes place during the task that students use spontaneous talks.

ANALYSIS 

Kachru’s Concentric Circles

Source:
https://www.google.com/search?q=kachru%E2%80%99s+concentric+circles&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH906PH9
06&oq=&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l8.12376350j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The WE has brought peculiarities that provide opportunities and challenges not only in English language
teaching and learning but also in global communication. Such peculiarities that cause potential problems to
ESL and EFL learners include the following:
​Phonology​ (speech sound)

There are sounds that are present in the speech inventory of one language which are not available in the
speech inventory of another language. For examples, Japanese do not have /l/ sound, so they substitute
the sound of /l/ to /r/ as in ‘gurufurendu’ for girlfriend. Filipinos do not have long sounds in English language
such as /i/ for eagle; /o/ for pole; and /u/ for chew, and the /​ӕ​/ which leads, for example, to cat being
pronounced ket. Korean do not have the English consonant sounds /f/ and /v/, and /​Ө​/ and /​ɉ​/ which are
pronounced as /p/, /b/, /t/, and /d/ respectively, thus phone is pronounced pone.

Orthography​ (spelling)

It is frequently noted that ESL and EFL students suffer in their English writing more than the native
speakers due to absence of some English vowel and consonant sounds in their native or local language
and the influence of their mother tongue. Research categorize four major spelling errors of non-native
English language learners: omission (leaving letters out), substitution (replacing letters with incorrect ones),
transportation (reversing the letters position), and insertion or addition (adding extra letters).

Examples:

1. omission gramar (grammar)

2. substitution saksopon (saxophone)
3. transportation beleive (believe)
4. insertion or addition fourty (forty)

Syntax​ (arrangement of words)

English, Taiwan, French, and other languages use subject-verb-object (SVO) pattern; Japanese,
Korean, Indian, use subject-object-verb (SOV), and Filipinos use verb-subject-object (VSO).

Examples:

English: That snake killed the dog

S - V - O

Japanese: Sono habiga inu o korosita.

S - O - V

Filipino: Pinatay ng ahas ang aso.

V - S - O

In Korean, grammatical categories have no clear correspondence with those in English. This may
result in Korean EFL students using a noun where English would have an adjective. For example: I cannot
come to school today because I am illness.

Semantics​ (word meanings)

Meanings of certain words or expressions in one language may differ in another language. For
examples, the English meaning for the word ‘salvage’ is ‘to save’; to Filipinos ‘salvage’ means ‘to kill”.

Moreover, some ideas that are conveniently expressed with a single word in one language may need an
entire sentence in another language. For example, Hawaiian ‘aloha’ is a quick “Goodbye and/or Hello”, in
which Filipinos will normally say “Kumusta ka?” for Hello, and “Paalam or Mauna na ako” for Goodbye.

ABSTRACTION 
Check your understanding of the lessons by answering the following questions:
1. Do you think the English we use in the Philippines is one variety of English language?
If yes, give examples of English words that we use but are not present in other varieties.
2. How do you feel when speaking with native speakers of English?
3. How can you improve your spelling of English words as a non-native speaker of English
language?
4. What are the particular English words that you always have difficulty in writing them in
correct spelling?

APPLICATION 

 
wikipedia.org

Travel Agency Posters 

Type:​ Target Language and Culture

This is a quiet activity in which pairs, or groups of three, create a poster of a custom or tradition to
be explained to the class. This activity encourages students to use appropriate descriptive words to give
vivid visual and narrative presentations of their posters and ideal also for question and answer practice.
Materials Needed

● A list of target culture traditions, such as wedding ceremonies, table manners or any specific local
celebrations
● Magazines with pictures to cut out
● Newspapers to cut out letters or words
● Poster board, crayons or markers, paste or glue

Preparing the Activity

This activity creates cultural connections. Explain different types of traditions celebrated in your own
province. Give several examples, and compare your local traditions to your classmates’ own cultures. What
are some good similarities to look out for?

Running the Activity

Students are going to make destination posters for a travel agency to attract tourists.

Posters include the name of the tradition and pictures that represent the tradition. As students prepare
their posters, they can share more details of each of the traditions. Students may ask simple questions in
the target language, such as: “How do they dress?” “Where do they meet?” “How much does it cost to….?”

Once the posters are finished, one member of each group stands by their poster to give a quick
explanation to anyone who comes to look. The rest of the class move from poster to poster while the
creators explain the points on the poster and answer any questions from the others.

The Airport VIP Lounge

Type:​ Impromptu Speech

Several people from different walks of life are waiting in the VIP lounge for a flight that has been delayed
because of bad weather.

Materials Needed
● Role cards
● Situation cards

Preparing the Activity 

 
Students will have a group brainstorming on what kinds of people would use a VIP lounge at the airport.
● A Prime Minister
● A famous movie star
 ● A world famous boxer
● A prince or princess

Students make role cards for the characters, names, personality traits, income levels, etc. They brainstorm
about things that can happen in an airport that passengers always complain about. For example:
● Security check
● Lost luggage
● Unpleasant ticket agents
● Extra fees
● others

Running the Activity 

Two students will be randomly chosen.

Each of them has a role card and a situation card. They sit in the makeshift lounge where there are five
chairs set up. They first make small talk regarding the late flight. They talk about a personal experience
based on their situation cards.
After two minutes, another student holding a role card and a situation card, will join the first two.
He/she’ll change the subject according to his/her situation card. The others share their ideas on the
situation.
Two students are added every two minutes, with their roles and situation cards.
Once the last student has been complaining for two minutes, the activity stops and starts with anothe
two students.
Students rotate rapidly in this activity. A student will make a flight announcement to cue the next
student’s entrance.
(Applause from the class is encouraged every time a group ends before a new pair restarts the activity.
 
Reflection 

 
firstgradefactory.blogspot.com

What is ethnocentrism? Why do we need to avoid ethnocentrism when addressing audiences with diverse
cultural, racial, or ethnic backgrounds?
 Suggested Readings 
 
Abdeljaoued, Marii & Labassi, Tahar. (2020). English as the lingua franca of academic publishing in
Tunisia. ​World Englishes​, ​39(​ 3), 1-14.
Aguilar-Sanchez, Jorge (2005). English in Costa Rica. ​World Englishes, 24(​ 2), 161-172.
Delpit, Lisa and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy (eds.) (2002). ​The skin that we speak: Thoughts on
language and culture in the classroom.​ New York: New Press.
Devonish, Hubert (2007). ​Language and liberation: Creole language politics in the
Caribbean ​(second edition) ​.​ Kingston: Arawak.
Nero, Shondel (ed.) (2006). ​Dialects, Englishes, creoles, and
education.​ Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

https://cudoo.com/blog/different-varieties-of-english-language/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language/Varieties-of-English
https://www.thoughtco.com/world-englishes-1692509