Reflection 5.2 – Sharing Changing Englishes ideas with colleagues

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Going through this section I was imagining a teacher workshop I could run based on this course. Starting with the self-assessment tool and going through some major concepts like monolithic vs plurilithic, ELF, World Englishes, Kachru’s Circles etc., and showing one or 2 videos like a TED talk and the video that explains the declarative and procedural memory. This would certainly fill up an hour easily, and would be a good start, I think, in getting teacher intrigued and curious for more. I think it would pique their interest, and I can see some teachers who have taught abroad or who are multilingual themselves maybe being more open to these ideas, but at the same time I foresee some surprised and more reluctant reactions, some more rigid and unmalleable thinking, and some teachers resigned to the idea that institutions would not embrace these concepts, even if they do. Nonetheless, I think it’s important to put the message out there, regardless of the initial resistance towards it. Persistence and perseverance is the only way change will ever happen and how it has happened historically.

To view past replies go to: https://changingenglishes.proboards.com/thread/26/sharing-changing-englishes-ideas-colleagues

• This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by admin.

[Ahmed Abdullah Ali]

Evaluating is the main obstacle we may face. But using different kinds of assessments may make it little easy.

[Buddhika Daladawaththa]

Persuading most of other colleagues for an awareness would be a challenge to a certain extent as some of them are so much embedded in the notion of a standard.
Besides all these, all curriculum, courses and most of all evaluation, as mentioned in a previous comment should be amended at a large national scale.

[Dauda Pikawi]

It may not be an easy task though, but I see how I will be using these resources to do a mini teacher workshop. But how do we over come the challenge of certificates? Our teachers here hold that in high esteem

[Angelica Marie Estrabela]

I would say that changing or persuading my colleagues’ mindset about English would not be easy but it’s not quite impossible since they have their own perspective about English. It would take time for them to fully comprehend it or even embrace it. Presenting data and studies to them would really help them to change their minds.

[Pabasara Ponnamperuma]

The concept of “World Englishes” is controversial aspect in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is in the Outer Circle country where English has been gifted in the British colonial period. There is “Standard Sri Lankan English” but it is again controversial aspect in Sri Lanka. The main reason for this issue is that Sri Lankans are not ready to accept this particular variety and Sri Lankans want to study themselves and teach their children, standard British English. After learning about this concept of World Englishes, it is kind a miracle to Sri Lankan second language learner of English and the worst thing is that they do not know about that and just follow the wave.
I would like to make a contribution on Sri Lankan society through writing a motivational blog post or an article about the concept of “Changing Englishes” which I learnt in this concept. There were many things that I learnt from this course honestly.

[Deborah Ayers]

I think the hardest part about sharing this idea with my colleagues and the school would be trying to design different types of assessment that are also standardized in some way.

I’ll still share this course with them to do on their own once we’re all back together again!

[Rudy Jonathan Párraga Solórzano]

In the beginning, I shared the course with my colleagues but they are not interested in it, they do not like to increase their knowledge.

[Alexandra Pak]

I see eye to eye with these opinions.

[Richard Zadori]

Agreed

[Hajar Ranjbari]

It takes time to do great things but in the end, the result will surprise everyone to see the Englishes with a different perspective and approach it much confidently. We need to be organized and disciplined. Then our voices will be heard by the time we raise their awareness of plurilithic approach to teaching and learning English. I do agree with what Admin shared so far and we try to consider them in detail.
I have learned and enjoyed reading other teacher’s comments throughout the course since they sometimes share the same taste and we have found much a lot in common based on the knowledge we are being taught here. Hope it prospers the future of our students and community with understanding and tolerence.
To see good in everything will build bridges to connect more ideas, to produce beneficial results and welcome prosperity in knowledge and wisdom more for everyone.

[Richard Zadori]

How did I manage to overcome my obstacles?
24/7 learning. Lifelong learning.
I dedicate every single nano-second of my life to learning English (accents and dialects).
Plain and simple.

[Abdulsalam Aderibigbe]

When it comes to changing peoples perception about Englishes, a radical change will be quite difficult. Therefore actions that spur gradual change will be instrumental. This actions may include advocacy, engaging key stakeholders in the language teaching and learningsectors, proposing and implementing policies towards the desired change.

Personally, being a member of a network of linguist and language teachers, I will leverage on the expertise of my network towards creating awareness, doing research and drafting policy documents towards changing peoples perception about Englishes.

[Josephine Ricci]

Learning is forever ongoing and it is important that teachers share their resources, strategies and activities with fellow teachers. This teacher education of the adoption of new strategies and resources will enable teacher to adapt their teaching to an environment where world Englishes have become part of education, teaching and learning.

[Eleni Verikaki]

People usually resist to anything new. But the more they learn about it, the more they understand. Teachers should be aware of World Englishes through workshops, webinars and resources and they should realise that World Englishes is part of teaching and learning.

[Saul Santos]

Of course, at this point, almost about to finish this course, I feel a strong urge to share these ideas with my colleagues. From Pennington’s list, it is evident that attitudes play an important role here, so a big deal in working on attitudes should be deddicated in the planing of this sharing experience. I think using others’ words, opinions and experiences may be helpful (‘it is not only me who says it’). There are so many key concepts in this course that I am not sure how I would start. I really enjoyed the format of this course: self paced. You can linger, go back forward as needed. I am thinking that I might use a combined format: distant and presential (or at least syncronic).

[Alex Ferreira]

I always talk with my colleagues and we sharing many ideas togheter. I never had any obstacles before.

[Manuel Cadeddu]

I totally agree that we would (will) get different reactions, and that it’s important to act anyway, as we would get the attention of those colleagues who are well-disposed but haven’t had a chance yet to develop their ideas towards a plurilithic vision. At the same time, we may even get a few reluctant colleagues intrigued, one never knows…

[Simon Fielding]

In my opinion, the biggest obstacle in the way for some colleagues would be the issue of testing. If the purpose of their classes is to allow students to pass an exam (one where Standard English is favoured) then it would be difficult for them to want to accommodate plurilithic Englishes. This is particularly important when we consider how grammar is taught in text books. These do not address the fact that many versions of English are grammatically incorrect but still widely used and perfectly intelligible. There is also a level of snobbery about different accents which should be dispelled as all Englishes are valid in their own context.

[Jane O Davies]

We hope this section has helped you to reflect on when and how you might share the ideas in this course with your colleagues. Share your ideas (and experiences), as well as any obstacles and how you might overcome them, here.

I’m not very optimistic about my ‘colleagues’ embracing this radical view of teaching English as: i) it mitigates against the rather traditional culture in which we live and work*; and ii) the Ts would have to be in possession of a degree of pedagogical knowledge and linguistic competence to work with these new ideas; and iii) it’s just easier to keep on doing the same thing, in the absence of any external inspection and accountability (Ts often have jobs for life in my context). I suppose ‘dialogue’ and ‘keep on keeping on’ are two possible solutions to effecting change regarding T education. Or, as a fellow (NS)T trainer confirmed: “you’ve got to give them (the NNS Ts) the idea that they’ve always got to keep on learning!”
* As I write, the communicative approach to language learning is NOT alive and kicking in my context!

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