Teaching English from a global perspective : what are the implications in SE Asia?

In this talk I will consider the development of English as a global language over the last 20 years. I will begin by looking at the characteristics of a global language and tracing some of the reasons why English, and not another language, has become the international language. I will look at the benefits and possibilities that this development represents for English and non-English cultures as well as the more negative consequences that arise, particularly from a cultural perspective. As part of this discussion, I will consider what other languages may arise as alternative international languages to English. I will then tum to some key questions that arise from this issue which relate to the teaching of English, including: will there be such a thing as an international variety of English in the future? What varieties of English should we aim to teach?; how should we introduce our students to the notion of English as a medium for international communication?; what are the relative roles of native and non-native English speaking teachers in relation to this development? What are the implications of the notion of English as a global language for the materials and activities we use? What kinds of activities can we introduce in the classroom to introduce this concept to our students? The presentation will conclude with some practical illustrations of approaches to teaching English from a global perspective that teachers have found useful. These illustrations will be drawn from discussions and writing tasks from my own students, many of whom are teachers from South-East Asian countries, and from contributors to a volume of the Case Studies in TESOL Series entitled "Teaching English from a Global Perspective" (to be published in 2005) of which I am the editor.15 page(s