English as a world language

Introduction

In any teaching situation, one will face the followings:

• Learners
• Subject matters
• Classroom environment
• Materials and equipments
• Process of teaching and learning

These elements will be working together. They will be either helpful for teachers or otherwise. Skilful or at least luck teachers are those who make such variables work by their side. If we look closer at each variable we must notice the difference, which create a major headache for novice trainees and teachers alike. We scratch our heads seeking solutions and advice of all courses we studied at college. Furthermore, we search into experience looking for models to follow or adapt to get us out of the trap. Sometimes, we succeed and most of the time we do not, depending on how luck we are.

For teachers of English as a foreign language, EFL, there are minimum requirements. They have to be knowledgeable in the field of psychology and linguistics. While the first discipline will help them know aspects and characteristics of learners, the latter will define and explain language dimensions and its relationship to varieties of human behaviour.

No matter what we do as teachers or learners, we are going to be different from each others. Since this is the case, we will be great from some, alright for some and poor for others. Only realistic teachers and administrators admit this fact and act accordingly. Others lie, bluff and dream with some clients who probably share the same characteristics. So, what is it that trainees and teachers should know about their career? Let us go over the following items, even though they are highly simplified.

Definitions of Language

1- Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols, which permit all people in a given culture, or other people who have learned the system of that language to communicate or interact.

2- Language is a system of Communication by sound, operating through organs of speech and hearing. It only occurs, however, in a community among its members. These vocal symbols possess arbitrary conventional meanings.

3- Language is any set or system of linguistic symbols. These symbols are used by a number of people when communicating intelligibly with each other. Also this system is controlled partially by a more or less uniform.

4- Language is any means, vocal or else, of expressing feelings or thoughts within a community. It is a system of conventionalized signs, especially words or gestures having at least for a period of time fixed meanings.

5- Language is a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings. Signs, sounds, gestures, marks…etc. are parts of such a system. The phonetical, morphological and grammatical rules are applicable to them either in isolation or in groups.

More facts about languages

· Every language is good enough for its people.

· Every language has consonant and vowels.

· Every language has rule in any shape.

· Every language has linguistics and para or non-linguistics elements.

· Every language belongs to a certain family.

· Every language is subject to development or otherwise.

· Every language is uttered throw organs of speech coupled by movement of parts of the human body.

· Language only exists in a community.

· Every individual is capable of acquiring or learning a language(s) as far as he/she lives in a community.

· Every language is loaded with its cultural aspects one cannot strip one of the other. A language dominates according to the strength of its people.

English as a world language

The status of English today is the result of two main factors such as the expansion of British colonial power, and the emergence of the United States as the leading power of the 20^th century. From 1945 and tell now nearly all the remaining colonies of Britain became independent states, and “the role and function of English changed from being an instrument of subservience to other, quite different ends” (Strevens: 1992). The spread of English across cultures has to sides. One represents those who use English as their first language, and the other represents those who use it as an additional language. Kachru (in Quirk and Widdowson, 1985) has characterized English as it is used around the world into three concentric circles: the Inner circle, the Outer circle, and the Expanding circle. The Inner circle represents those who considered as native speakers of English in countries such as Britain, USA, Canada, and Australia. The Outer circle represents those who use it as a second language, and has an official standing in countries like India, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Fiji, Philippines, and Singapore. The Expanding circle represents those who use it as a foreign language in countries such as Egypt, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Brazil, Sweden, Indonesia, and France.

Strevens (1992) categorize non-native speakers as he said: “In an English-using community where English is a secondary language for most or all of the users, its status will be one of two possible types: it will be either a foreign language or a second language. English is a foreign language (EFL) within a community when it has no special standing but is simply (just another language). Where as, English is a second language (ESL) when it has special standing; such as being acceptable in the courts of low, being the medium of instruction in major sectors of educational system, being used in regional or national administration, being commonly used on radio or television, and where there are a major newspapers published in English”.

A further distinction made by Kachru (1992) as he said it is necessary between English as a second language and English as a foreign language. The second language varieties of English are “essentially institutionalized varieties”, as in India and Nigeria. The foreign language varieties are ”primarily performance varieties”, as in Saudi Arabia and Japan. This distinction is also important with reference to the role and functions of English in the educational, administrative, and sociocultural context of a country in which English is used as a non-native language (Kachru: 1992). The performance varieties of English have a highly restricted functional range in specific contexts; whereas the institutionalized varieties are different. The main characteristics of the later varieties are (a) they have an extended range of uses in the sociolinguistic context of a nation; (b) they have an extended register and style range; (c) a process of nativization of the registers and styles has taken place; (d) a body of nativized English literature has developed which has formal and contextual characteristics which mark it localized (Kachru: 1992). Because of the characteristics of these varieties, we got new models like Indian English, Ghanaian English, and Nigerian English. Non-native varieties differ in detail from native varieties; and this fact is a challenge faces the teaching and learning of the language.

To sum up, the spread of the language across cultures, the increasing number of NNS, the emergence of varieties and the growing differences between them, and the communication among NNS and the issue of intelligibility have a huge influence on teaching the language for both native and non-native speakers. These facts posed the needs for an awareness of the status of English today by ESOL teachers or who ever concerned about TESOL.

English in KSA

In Saudi Arabia, English is spoken as a foreign language (an EFL country). And the Saudi English is essentially a performance variety. As an EFL country, Saudi Arabia belongs to the third circle, the “expanding circle”, English is used as a tool for communication, trade, business, diplomacy, travel, and as a medium in higher education.

Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest countries in the world that have a population of long distance-foreigners in relation to citizens’ population (Parfit, 1998). Mainly the people of Saudi Arabia communicate with them by using English. Non-native speakers of English from countries like Pakistan, India, Philippine, Indonesia and Bangladesh, represent the majority of the foreigners’ population in Saudi Arabia.

Another point is that English language is a medium for many subjects at the tertiary level, such as science, medicine, dentistry, engineering and computers and to a lesser extent in others. One of the conditions for acceptance into schools such as Medicine and Dentistry, is English language proficiency. The need for the language is even greater at higher degree level; it is essential in most majors.

Economic factors also play a role in the status of English in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian economy has grown at a very rapid rate over the last two decades, and is no longer totally dependent on oil revenues. Moreover, Saudi Arabia plays a leading role in support of the world economy through its contribution to international organisations. The growth of the Saudi economy has achieved international respect and interest. Therefore, it has become a big market for South Asia, South East Asia and Europe as well. Moreover, as a member of the world community, Saudi Arabia has diplomatic relationships with countries of native speakers of English and non-native speakers as well. For all these activities, English language is a means of communication.

Consequently, the government of Saudi Arabia realised the needs for teaching English quite early, and introduced the English language course as a compulsory subject from the Intermediate level through the secondary level to tertiary level. This year (2004) English was introduced at the final year of the elementary stage.

Summary

Above, we have looked at the definitions of language, English status around the world and specifically the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Next, we will look briefly at the concepts of learning, teaching, and theories of learning.

Language Learning