Topic 2. World Englishes (2 hours)
If you
are learning English, you may want to speak the language like you are a native
speaker. Or, is your goal making a simple request like, “I want a Big
Mac,” when you are in a foreign country? Just like you may have different
goals, people of the world may have different reasons to learn English.
Kachru (1999) says there are three groups of countries in the world where people speak English. The first group is the Inner Circle like US, UK, Canada, Australia, new Zealand
where English is the mother language; the second group is the Outer Circle like Singapore, India, the Philippines where English is the common language of
the country; and the third group is the Expanding Circle like Japan and
Korea where people are learning English.
Here is a question for you. Do you want
to speak English like it is your native language? Or, are you happy if you can
order in English in a restaurant in a foreign country? Here
is a second question for you. Do you know of*1 any nonnative
speakers of English who speak the language fluently? A good example is Kofi
Annan. He was the United Nations Secretary General
before. If you want, you can watch his video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DgivC6G-HM. If his speech is difficult,
check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKAvyhzHJWY to see if you understand
Agnes Chan. If you do not know who she is, she is a Chinese singer who became
popular in Japan.
The course has a simple questionnaire to help you understand the idea of world Englishes. There is no correct or wrong answer. Please choose the best percentage for you and write your comments.
Glossaries:
l Know of*1: 知っている（know ofは見たり聞いたりした事があるという意味で、誰かを個人的に知っているという意味のknowと区別される。）
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QUESTIONNAIRE
Here is a list of eight questions to help you understand the idea of world Englishes. Do not think too
hard, but mark your answer with an X on the line from 0% to 100%, and write a short comment to
explain your answer.
1. I want to speak English like I am a native speaker.
no not sure yes
0% 50% 100%
|_________________________________|_________________________________|
Comment:
2. It is OK to make mistakes when I speak English.
no not sure yes
0% 50% 100%
|_________________________________|_________________________________|
Comment:
3. It is OK to speak English with a Japanese accent.
no not sure yes
0% 50% 100%
|_________________________________|_________________________________|
Comment:
4. I speak English.
never not often but sometimes everyday
0% 50% 100%
|_________________________________|_________________________________|
Comment:
5. My English level is
entry basic intermediate advanced
|______________________|______________________|______________________|
Comment:
6. I have been to , , and .
(Please write
country names.)
7. I have spoken to people (in English) from , and .
(Please write country names.)
8. I think people from are easy to understand.
(Please write
country names.)
Your comment about world Englishes:
For answer sheets, write to gnsekino@gmail.com.
For answer sheets, write to gnsekino@gmail.com
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