Session 3B

Amin Zargarian - Kaplan International English and Peter Mickan - University of Adelaide

Unpacking Internationalisation: A report on the implications of the English language as an international language in a text-based classroom

This study is a report on a research examining students’ working with texts. The report focuses on the cultural implications of the English language as an internationalised language. In this report, the analysis of students’ comments, talks, and opinions are used to give a better understanding of how English as an International English can play role in students’ working with texts. The following questions guide the present study:

1- What are the socio-cultural factors that impact students’ interactions through English as an International Language?
2- How can the teacher unpack the international nature of the English language to facilitate knowledge among students of different cultures?

The study involved students from different countries such as Italy, Spain, Poland, Brazil, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Thailand, China, Argentina, Vietnam, Columbia, Austria, Switzerland, South Korea, and Mexico. Students’ ages varied from 21 to 40 and above. Learners’ proficiency levels varied from the pre-intermediate level to the upper-intermediate level. Students participated in conversations and discussions about different topics. Teaching materials were mainly focused on socially and culturally stimulating topics so that students could engage themselves in more multi-cultural text types.

The reporting and the analysis of data are based on Halliday’s (2003) “Written language, standard language, Global language”. Halliday (2003) takes a meaning-centred view of a globally standardised language. Another theory applied for the analysis of data is Kachru’s (1997) “World Englishes and English-using communities” as well as Maton’s (2009) “Knowledge-Building”. This study reports on the students’ socio-cultural resources used to use English as international language.

Bio data:

I completed my Bachelor’s in Translation Studies in 2007 and my Master’s in Applied Linguistics in the University of Adelaide, 2014. I have been teaching English to adults in a range of levels conforming to ALTE B2 and C1. I have also been training IELTS Exam Candidates in all four skills mainly for the Academic Module. My most recent experience has been teaching Specific Skills classes in Kaplan International English College. My research interests are in the Text-based Teaching, Knowledge-Building through texts and Discourse Analysis of classroom contexts.