Discussion 3.1 – Places & Contexts of English Exposure

[admin]

I really like the 2 opposing concepts of English as something external to be internalized and English as something created internally. While, like many of us, I’ve naturally thought of it as the first concept, I’ve been gradually moving towards seeing it as the second concept, and as plurilithic.

On that note, some places & contexts in which I think learners experience English (and in which I experienced it while being a learner) are:

– TV shows/movies (I think these are dominant)
– music lyrics
– the Internet (again, highly dominant context)
– conversations with friends (also L2 English speakers)
– during travels: in stores, restaurants, pubs, hotels/hostels etc. (with speakers of English from different socioeconomic, educational, cultural backgrounds).

I think in these contexts the kind of English found is “non-standard”, to different degrees (highly non-standard on the internet or if listening to rap music, for instance), so unlike the kind taught in class; but definitely the kind that learners as users will continue to encounter and employ in the future, as these are the real contexts of use.

To view past replies go to: https://changingenglishes.proboards.com/thread/16/places-contexts-english-exposure

• This topic was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by admin.

[Suparada Therdbaramee]

There are many places that learner exposure
-ATM machines
-Internet
-Games
-Labels on products
-Sign Boards
-TV etc.
I agree with admin that these are not standard English , but it used in real life.

[Ahmed Abdullah Ali]

-Internet
-Games
-Labels on products
-Sign Boards
-TV

[Angelica Marie Estrabela]

-social media platforms (e.g video clips, comments)
-daily communication (e.g chats, text messages)
-songs
-movies or TV shows
-conversation with language teachers

[Buddhika Daladawaththa]

Students experience different variations of English in editorials, news bulletins, in forms of entertainment such as movies, songs etc. Sometimes, they get different norms or rather variations for example, English in a movie and the English in an editorial, one gets different standards : the norm and alternatives to the norm. So, it’s a kind of a mixture they experience in real life usage.

[Dauda Pikawi]

The experience of another English by learners and even myself ouside the ‘formal’ sources like text books, teachers and tests is diverse. It is much more than the above mentioned formal sources:
The church
The internet
The movie
The television
The social media
The music
The friends with diverse world view
Even listening to other subjects teachers
The market
Just mentioning a few in my Nigerian case.

[Pabasara Ponnamperuma]

In Sri Lanka, Students learn English as a second language. It is an official language in the country, and it is the only way to make a link with the international context. Therefore, it is compulsory to learn English language. In school, students tend to learn English language with essential grammar, vocabulary and lexical items including the four skills, reading, writing, speaking and listening. It serves only to learn the language and it is a standard variety of English language, Standard Sri Lankan English. But still there are contexts where English is used as in daily routine. For instances; Watching English movies with international content, usage of English in the daily life, listening music, chats with penpals and etc.

[Deborah Ayers]

The majority of my students’ first experiences with English were via music, television, and movies. They often still come to me with questions regarding what they heard on the show they’re watching on Netflix, versus what we’ve been learning in class.

[Author]

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