FINAL ASSESSMENT TASK

“SHORT” ANSWER QUESTIONS

TIME: 1.5 HOURS (90 mins)

QUESTIONS:

Some marking criteria:

1) Answer should be presented in paragraph.

2) Answers should be ~ 250 words long (+/- 20%)
3) Answers should be presented in argumentative writing (e.g., organization, elaboration,
exemplification)
4) Answers should be relevant and concise (ratio between words/ideas)
- Answer the question being asked
- Avoid wordiness
- Being informative.
5) Answers should use the terminology reflected in Jenkins and link to knowledge from other
courses (where applicable).
6) Plagiarism will receive “0”

IN-CLASS ASSESSMENT:

PRESENTATION (15%)

ESSAY (15%)

ATTENDANCE (BONUS)

FINAL ESSAY ON STRAND 6 (3 HOURS – FROM 10:00 – 1:00)

WRITE AN ESSAY (350 – 500) WORDS (+/- 10%) TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

What are the pros and cons of describing English as a lingua franca (ELF)? Do
you think the pros outweigh the cons?

Some ideas to consider:

a. What is ELF? How is the viewpoint of English as a Lingua Franca different from other
viewpoints of the use of English that we have explored so far, such as World Englishes or
English as a Foreign Language?
b. What are the drives that made English the first true lingua franca? Do you think Chinese
could one day replace English as a lingua franca?
c. Why do you think beliefs about the superiority of English persists? Do you hold a similar
belief? Why?
d. Should English be considered as a property of the people from England? Why? Analyze
the pros and cons of both sizes and give your ideas.
e. What can be some educational problems for scholars when they approach ELF?
QUESTIONS FOR FINAL EXAM (3 WILL BE ASKED; MORE SELF-RESEARCH NEEDED)

1) What are pidgins and creoles? Do you think that English also goes through stages of
creolization?
No. English has native speakers.
2) Some scholars have tried to categorize how English has spread and is being used in the world
today. Which model do you think most accurately reflects the use of English?
Simplification.
3) What is “standard English”? What are the pros and cons of promoting standard English?
- Pros:
+ Consistent system universal communication
+ Stability consistent testing and teaching system  no confusion
- Cons:
+ Superiority  western outlook in Teaching
+ Lack of practical feature. (ELF: Extended Circle)
4) What is ELF? What are the pros and cons of promoting ELF?
Pros:
Cons: Fluidity  inconsistent system  difficulty to category  hard to teach and communicate

This unprecedented linguistic development has not failed to provoke reactions ranging from
great enthusiasm to extreme rejection. Many native speakers fear that their language will fall
apart and Shakespeare’s English will be divided up into mutually unintelligible varieties (cf.
Widdowson 1994: 383). However, non-native speakers also often condemn global English,
complaining that it invades their own language to the point that young people are no longer
able to express themselves properly in their mother tongue. Another argument raised against
the dominance of English is that it gives native speakers an undeserved advantage in
negotiations, presentations or on the labour market (cf. Knapp 2002, Van Parijs 2004).
Furthermore, several critics argue that ELF can at times be completely unintelligible and that
meetings and conferences often collapse because of misunderstandings caused by ELF (cf.
Harmer 2009: 193)  fluidity
It should be pointed out, however, that this unique spread of English would most likely not have
happened if ELF communication constantly failed to serve its communicative purpose.
Researchers specialised in the field of ELF argue that communication in this lingua franca works
more often than it does not (cf. Seidlhofer 2001: 137). ELF research as such established itself
only in the 1990s and is, therefore, a young domain, still somewhat lacking in homogeneous
theoretical and methodological approaches (cf. Lesznyák 2004: 43). Nevertheless, some
concepts have become largely accepted in the community, such as the let it pass principle,
according to which NNS’ anomalies in grammar or phonetics are often accepted on the basis of
the assumption that the meaning will become clear at a later point in time (cf. Firth 1996).
Another widely recognised feature of ELF observed in many interactions is a cooperative
attitude that often facilitates mutual understanding (cf. Meierkord 2000). Jenkins (2006: 36)
argues that deviations from the native speaker (NS) norm are legitimate as long as they are
 intelligible to the interlocutors, suggesting that constantly comparing ELF to NS norms is not
appropriate.
5) What are some implications for teaching and learning of English in today’s time?
- Accept the diversity of English
- ELF
6) Do you think in the future, English will continue to spread its global influence, or it will be
replaced by another language?
Yes. 6 rules.
7) Between the viewpoint of “non-native as difference” and “non-native as deficiency”, which
viewpoint do you hold?
Difference. ELF. Global market: functional means of communication.
8) Are you learning and using English as a pidgin, creole, dialect, or standard version of English?
Standard version of English.
- Follow
-
9) Do you think a good score of English in standardized tests (e.g., IELTS or TOEFL) is important?
Why?
It depends. For those who want to study aboard/ work in Inner Circle or those favoring the ENL.

10) Do you believe that Vietnamese “Pho” should be exclusive dish of Vietnam and that no other
country has the rights to imitate and change its recipe? What is the analogy between
Vietnamese’s Pho and “global Englishes”?
Not really, some reasonable changed can be accepted.
- Fit to the local tastes.
Should English be regarded as difference or deficiency?
- Pho: English
- Keep the initial version of Pho: Support standard English, “non-native as deficiency”,
- Accept Pho’s changes in recipe: Support other varieties of English  global Englishes  “non-
native as difference”