Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) vs Teaching English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)

Summary

In this video, Marek Kiczkowiak from TEFL Equity Advocates discusses the differences between teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). EFL focuses on native speaker conformity, while ELF emphasizes global communication and intelligibility. The video highlights the need to move away from native speakerism and adapt English language teaching to reflect the reality of English as a global language predominantly used by non-native speakers.

Takeaways

• 😀 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) focuses on conformity with native speaker models, emphasizing standard pronunciation and language use.
• 😄 In EFL, having a foreign accent is often seen as negative, and students are discouraged from using their first language (code-switching).
• 😃 Standard native speaker culture is often prioritized in EFL, with non-native speakers rarely being used as language models.
• 😁 EFL tends to promote native speakerism, the idea that native speakers are linguistically and pedagogically superior.
• 😆 Teaching English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) prioritizes intelligibility in international contexts rather than conformity to native speaker standards.
• 😂 ELF emphasizes clear communication across diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, focusing on interaction with non-native speakers.
• 😊 In ELF, intercultural communicative skills are vital, helping students navigate various cultural contexts rather than just native speaker cultures.
• 😉 ELF encourages using non-native speakers as language models, which can motivate students by showing them real-world examples of effective communication.
• 🙃 Raising awareness of native speakerism and the global spread of English is a key component of ELF teaching.
• 😌 ELF acknowledges that most English speakers are non-native, making the language a tool for global communication, not just a reflection of native speaker norms.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching?

The primary focus of EFL teaching is conformity with a standard native speaker model, where students are encouraged to imitate the language of perceived 'native speakers' who speak standard English.

How does the perception of 'native speaker' influence EFL teaching?

In EFL teaching, the 'native speaker' is perceived as the ideal model for language proficiency, which influences teaching materials, pronunciation goals, and cultural content, often neglecting the diversity within the English-speaking world.

What is the typical attitude towards foreign accents in EFL teaching?

In EFL teaching, having a foreign accent is often seen as something negative, with a historical emphasis on eradicating such accents to achieve 'standard' native speaker pronunciation.

Why is code switching or translanguaging often viewed negatively in EFL contexts?

Code switching or translanguaging is viewed negatively in EFL contexts because it deviates from the standard native speaker language model, which is seen as the ideal form of communication.

How does the EFL approach differ in terms of cultural emphasis compared to ELF teaching?

EFL teaching emphasizes the culture of those perceived as native speakers, whereas ELF teaching focuses on intercultural communicative skills, preparing students to navigate a variety of cultures where English is used.

What is the significance of using non-native speakers as language models in ELF teaching?

Using non-native speakers as language models in ELF teaching is significant as it reflects the reality of English as a global language, where most speakers are non-native, and it can motivate students by showing them that high proficiency can be achieved without native-like pronunciation.

How does ELF teaching approach the issue of intelligibility compared to EFL?

ELF teaching focuses on intelligibility and the ability to communicate effectively in international contexts, rather than conformity with native speaker models, which is the focus in EFL teaching.

What is the role of native speakerism in EFL and ELF teaching?

Native speakerism plays a central role in EFL teaching, often perpetuating the idea of native speaker superiority. In contrast, ELF teaching aims to challenge and reduce the impact of native speakerism by emphasizing the global spread of English and the diversity of its users.

Why is it important to raise students' awareness of English as a Lingua Franca in ELF teaching?

Raising students' awareness of English as a Lingua Franca in ELF teaching is important to help them understand the global nature of English, the majority of its users being non-native speakers, and to prepare them for effective communication in diverse international contexts.

How does the TEFL Equity Advocates Academy aim to help English teachers?

The TEFL Equity Advocates Academy aims to help English teachers tackle native speakerism and teach English for global communication by offering courses and training that focus on ELF principles and practices.

What are the key differences between EFL and ELF teaching methodologies?

The key differences between EFL and ELF teaching methodologies include the focus on native speaker conformity versus intelligibility, the use of native versus non-native speaker models, the emphasis on target culture versus intercultural communicative skills, and the approach to code switching and language diversity.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to EFL vs. ELF Teaching

The speaker, Marek Kiczkowiak, introduces the video's focus on comparing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) and ELF (English as a Lingua Franca) teaching approaches. He discusses the common assumptions in EFL teaching, such as conformity to native speaker models, the idealization of standard native speaker pronunciation, and the negative perception of foreign accents. The speaker also touches on the limited representation of non-native speakers in course materials and the historical emphasis on native speaker culture in EFL teaching. He contrasts this with his advocacy for ELF teaching, which he promotes through his platform, TEFL Equity Advocates, aiming to challenge native speakerism and focus on global communication.

05:06

🔍 Characteristics of EFL Teaching

This paragraph delves deeper into the characteristics of EFL teaching, emphasizing the historical focus on native speaker models and the marginalization of non-native speakers. It highlights the rarity of non-native speakers being used as language models and the lack of discussion on the global spread of English and its implications for language teaching. The speaker argues that the EFL approach perpetuates native speakerism, which positions native speakers as superior both linguistically and pedagogically. The paragraph sets the stage for a comparison with ELF teaching, which the speaker will discuss in the next section.

10:06

🌟 Transitioning to ELF Teaching

The speaker contrasts EFL with ELF teaching, emphasizing the shift from native speaker conformity to intelligibility in international contexts. ELF teaching focuses on clear communication rather than adherence to native speaker pronunciation. It advocates for the use of a diverse range of non-native speaker models in language materials to reflect the reality of English as a global language. The speaker also stresses the importance of genuine interactions between non-native speakers in the classroom and the development of intercultural communicative skills. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's encouragement to use non-native speakers as language models and to raise students' awareness of the global nature of English and the issue of native speakerism.

Keywords

💡EFL (English as a Foreign Language)

EFL refers to the teaching of English to students who are not native speakers and who typically learn the language in an environment where English is not the primary language. In the context of the video, EFL is characterized by an emphasis on native speaker models, standard pronunciation, and cultural aspects associated with native English-speaking countries. The script critiques the EFL approach for perpetuating native speakerism and for not adequately preparing students for real-world international communication.

💡ESL (English as a Second Language)

While not explicitly detailed in the script, ESL is mentioned as an acronym alongside EFL. ESL typically refers to the teaching of English to students who are learning English in a country where English is the primary language, often to immigrants or international students. It is distinguished from EFL in that the learning environment is more likely to be immersed in English.

💡ELF (English as a Lingua Franca)

ELF is a term used to describe the use of English as a common language among speakers of different native languages, where English is not the first language of any of the speakers. The video emphasizes teaching ELF as a more inclusive approach that focuses on intelligibility and communication in international contexts, rather than adherence to native speaker norms.

💡Native Speakerism

Native speakerism is the belief that native speakers of a language are inherently better at using and teaching that language than non-native speakers. The script critiques this notion, arguing that it leads to an overemphasis on native speaker models in language teaching and can be detrimental to the learning experience of non-native speakers.

💡Intelligibility

In the context of ELF, intelligibility refers to the ability of English speakers to be understood by a diverse range of listeners, regardless of their native language or dialect. The video suggests that teaching for intelligibility is more beneficial for students who will be communicating in international settings where they are likely to interact with other non-native speakers.

💡Translanguaging

Translanguaging, also referred to as code-switching in the script, is the practice of switching between languages or language varieties in a single conversation. The video points out that in traditional EFL teaching, this is often seen as negative, whereas in ELF teaching, it is recognized as a natural part of communication among multilingual speakers.

💡Intercultural Communicative Skills

These skills refer to the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people from different cultural backgrounds. The video suggests that teaching ELF should emphasize intercultural communicative skills to prepare students for the diverse cultural contexts they will encounter when using English internationally.

💡Non-native Speaker Models

The video argues for the use of non-native speaker models in English language teaching, particularly in the context of ELF. This approach recognizes the validity of various English accents and language uses and can be more relatable and motivating for students who are learning English as a second or foreign language.

💡Global Spread of English

This concept refers to the widespread use of English around the world, often as a second or foreign language, rather than just in native English-speaking countries. The video highlights the importance of acknowledging the global spread of English in language teaching and adapting curricula to reflect the diverse contexts in which English is used.

💡TEFL Equity Advocates Academy

Mentioned in the script as the platform run by Marek Kiczkowiak, the video's speaker, TEFL Equity Advocates Academy is an organization that aims to help English teachers challenge native speakerism and teach English for global communication. It offers courses and training to support teachers in adopting more equitable and effective teaching practices.

Highlights

Introduction to the acronyms EFL (English as a Foreign Language), ESL (English as a Second Language), and ELF (English as a Lingua Franca).

Focus on ELF teaching and how it differs from traditional EFL teaching.

EFL focuses on conformity with a native speaker model, encouraging students to imitate 'privileged' standard English.

Native speaker pronunciation is seen as the only appropriate goal in EFL teaching, while having a foreign accent is viewed negatively.

In many EFL materials, non-native speaker voices are underrepresented, with a preference for standard native speaker accents.

Code-switching and translanguaging are often discouraged in EFL contexts.

EFL emphasizes native speaker culture, privileging native speakers as superior language models.

ELF teaching focuses on intelligibility and effective communication in international contexts, rather than native speaker conformity.

ELF encourages the use of a wide variety of non-native speaker voices in language models, reflecting real-world communication needs.

Emphasis in ELF teaching is placed on intercultural communicative skills rather than native speaker culture.

ELF recognizes the global spread of English, noting that non-native speakers outnumber native speakers, making it essential for students to adapt to diverse interactions.

In ELF, non-native speakers are used as valid language models for pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

Teaching ELF raises awareness of native speakerism and its impacts on language education.

ELF promotes helping students communicate effectively in global, multilingual contexts where non-native speakers are the majority.

The overall goal of ELF is to ensure students are prepared for real-world communication with a diverse range of English speakers, focusing on clarity rather than native speaker standards.

Transcripts

A lot of you are probably familiar with the acronym

EFL, or English as a foreign language. Some of you probably

have heard as well about the acronym ESL, English

as a second language, but more recently and especially on this channel I've been

talking about ELF acronym, English as a Lingua Franca.

And more specifically, I've been talking a lot about teaching

ELF. So in this video I want to look at teaching English as a Foreign

Language, EFL, and teaching English as a Lingua Franca,

ELF, and compare them to see how they would differ.

So if you're new here, my name is Marek Kiczkowiak, and I run TEFL Equity Advocates

and Academy, where I help English teachers tackle

native speakerism and teach English for global

communication. If you're enjoying this video, then

consider giving it a like and also maybe hit that subscribe and

that little bell button so you don't miss any

of my future videos. So what is the difference between

teaching EFL, English as a Foreign Language, and teaching

ELF, English as a Lingua Franca. Let's perhaps start with the first term,

teaching EFL, and look at some of the most typical

assumptions that I think a lot of us have when it comes to teaching

English, and more specifically teaching English

as a Foreign Language. So what are some of the characteristics

of teaching English as a Foreign Language? First of all, the focus is on

conformity with a standard native speaker

model. In other words, your students are encouraged

to imitate the language that 'native speakers',

and I say 'native speakers' in inverted commas because it's not

all 'native speakers' that we encourage our students to imitate

but those that we perceive to be 'native speakers', those who speak

standard English of course, but in here for shorthand II'll just say

native speaker; but whenever I say that I remember that II mean a specific

group of native speakers who speaks the privileged

standard native speaker English. A second characteristic would be the

fact that standard pronunciation, standard native

speaker pronunciation is seen as the only appropriate goal for

our students. And number three: this leads to the idea

that having a foreign accent is something

bad. As a result, historically, in many of the published materials there

has been a rather narrow range of native speaker

voices. And again those native speakers that appeared

in course books were predominantly standard

native speaker voices from different countries

perceived as native speaking countries. And obviously those perceived as

non-native speakers appear much less. There are also

mostly, as researchers such as Matsuda point out,

interactions either between two native speakers or between a non-native speaker

and a native speaker. Another thing that we might see as a

characteristic of an English as a Foreign Language

approach is the fact that switching languages,

translanguaging, code switching, to use more linguistic terms, is seen as

something negative. Now think about it: I'm sure you've been

in situations either in your classroom or maybe in an exam where a student all

of a sudden switched between languages from English

maybe to the first language or maybe to another language that they know; and

they used an expression from that language, a word, maybe they translated

an idiom from another language that they know to English.

What would our typical reaction to that be?

And I'm included in this because I'm guilty of this

myself as well. It would probably be very negative, right? On an exam we might

grade them down because we see them as not using standard native speaker

language, we see they as translating from the first language, code switching, and

we see that as something negative. In EFL teaching

there is also emphasis, or at least historically there has been a lot of

emphasis, on what is perceived as native speaker culture. I still

time and time again come up against native speakers who will argue that they

are privileged and entitled to the privilege that they enjoy

in English language teaching because of the knowledge

of the target native speaker culture. Now another thing that happens in

teaching EFL is that non-native speakers will be very,

very rarely used as language models.

If you for example want to model pronunciation or a particular grammar

feature or some vocabulary, who is going to be a model for that? Well,

99% of the time it's going to be a standard

native speaker voice. And of course there is very

little discussion of the global spread of English and its implications for

teaching and learning English. And there is very little discussion as well

of native speakerism and its impact on English language teaching. So to sum up,

the EFL approach to teaching English in many, many of its assumptions

and core beliefs and practices is very native speakerist. And

I would argue that it serves to further perpetuate

native speakerism, or this idea that those perceived as

native speakers are superior, not only linguistically but also pedagogically.

So let's now look at the other option which is teaching ELF, teaching

English as a Lingua Franca. And let's zoom in on some of its

characteristics and how it might differ from teaching EFL,

English as a Foreign Language. So there are some fundamental

differences between teaching EFL and teaching ELF; some of them

are for example focusing on intelligibility

and the ability to communicate the message

appropriately in international contexts rather than

focusing on conformity with standard native speaker models. Instead of having

standard native speaker pronunciation as the only

goal that our students should aspire to, we focus on intelligibility in

international contexts; in other words, on clear

pronunciation in international contexts and being easy

to understand to a wide variety of people. Also you would want to use a very

wide variety of non-native speakers, or those

perceived as non-native speakers, in your recordings. So you would basically want to

examine and do a needs analysis with your students to find out

who they are going to be using English with.

And just bearing the numbers in mind, that

there are probably four or five times as many non-native speakers as there are

native speakers, the chances are that your students are much more likely to

interact with other non-native speakers than they are

with those perceived as native speakers. And you really need to reflect that

in your materials. What you also want to do when you teach

ELF is to have a lot of genuine interactions between people from

different countries in which those perceived as native

speakers are in a minority. And again, this simply reflects the

reality of the English language: those who speak

it as the first language constitute perhaps 20 percent

of all people who use English. Another really important difference with

teaching EFL is that when we teach ELF or English

as a Lingua Franca, rather than emphasize the target culture

of those perceived as native speakers, we want to emphasize

intercultural communicative skills; in other words,

we want to help students be able to navigate their way in between a myriad of

different peoples, cultures, and first languages,

all of whom use English to communicate.

One last aspect that I think is vital as well when

teaching ELF rather than when teaching English as a Foreign Language

is to use non-native speakers as models of the language. This can involve

models of pronunciation, and I've done

another video about how you can use non-native speakers

as valid models of pronunciation, and the link is right below this video,

but they can also model grammar and vocabulary.

So use those recordings of non-native speakers to showcase

to students that these people can also be

great models of the language for them. And I think as well this can be

really motivating because it simply shows them as well that they as second

language users of English can also reach that

proficiency level. And finally, really, really

important as well when teaching ELF, is to try and raise students

awareness of English as a Lingua Franca, of the

global spread of the English language and of native

speakerism. So to sum up, there are some big

differences between teaching EFL, English and Foreign

Language, and teaching ELF, English as a Lingua Franca.

If I could summarize them in sort of one sentence, the main difference is that

the native speaker, or those perceived as native speakers, is no longer

at the center the language, is no longer seen as the only default

standard that all students should aspire to

imitate, but on the other hand what's emphasized is the global

nature of the English language and the fact that most people who use it

are non-native speakers. As a result, the language that we want to help our

students use should be language that is easy to

understand in international contexts. If you enjoyed

this video, don't forget to hit the subscribe button and that little bell

button as well so you don't miss any of my future

videos. And if you really want to dive in deeper to

teaching English as a Lingua Franca and learn

how you can help students communicate more effectively in international

contexts, then consider joining TEFL Equity Academy, where I have

several courses, teacher training courses, that will show you

exactly how to teach English as a Lingua Franca and tackle

native speakerism.