English as an International

Language (EIL)

© 2019 by University of Maryland, Baltimore County. English as an International Language PPT for the American English E-Teacher Program, sponsored
by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. government, and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
 In this presentation, we will explore English as an
international language (EIL), the role of non-native
English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), and approaches to
teaching culture for different global contexts.

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What is a Global Language?
• A global language is a language
that is spoken in countries all
over the world.

• It holds a special place within

their communities, even though
there may be few (or no) native
language (L1) speakers.
Untitled by a3 poster is licensed under a Pixabay License. It is free to use and share.

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English is a Global Language
• As a global language, English is
spoken in countries all over the
world.
• Crystal (1987) established that
English is used as either a first (L2)
or second (L2) language in various
contexts by people of all different
nationalities on every continent.
• The USA has nearly 70 percent of
all L1 English speakers in the world. Untitled by Gordon Johnson is licensed under a Pixabay License. It is free to use and share.

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English is a Global Language
• English is the language of
science and technology
globally.

• It is often the language used in

international organizations,
media, international travel,
and the Internet (Crystal,
1997). Untitled by Geralt is licensed under a Pixabay License. It is free to use and share.

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 Kachru’s Circles (1989)
Kachru (1989) explained English use as it
expands outwards from countries where
it is the primary language of the country.

• Inner circle: English is the primary

language of the country
• Outer circle: English serves as a
second language in a multilingual
country
• Expanding circle: English is widely
studied as a foreign language
“Kachru’s Circles” (2009) by University of Maryland Baltimore County is licensed under CC BY 4.0 for use in the AE E-Teacher Program,
sponsored by the U.S. Department of State

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Today, English is used
worldwide as an
international language
by inner, outer, and
expanding circle
countries.
“Kachru’s Circles” (2009) by University of Maryland Baltimore County is licensed under CC BY 4.0 for use in the AE E-Teacher Program,
sponsored by the U.S. Department of State

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In the past, English was associated with the culture of
inner circle countries. Now we know that it is an
international language with speakers across the globe.
English belongs to the world, and includes the cultures
of its many speakers.

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Implications for Teaching Culture in the EIL
Classroom

• Since a language belongs to its users, interculturalism

instead of biculturalism should be the goal.
• Learners do not have to adopt or accept the ideas and
behaviors of Inner Circle countries to use English. They
can learn English through many cultures.
(McKay, 2002, p. 94)

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Sphere of Interculturality (KRAMSCH, 1993)
• EFL teachers should enable speakers to share with others their ideas
and culture in cross-cultural interactions and create a…

SPHERE OF INTERCULTURALITY
In this sphere, or intercultural place…
• Learners need to learn about another culture.
• Learners need to reflect on their own culture in relation to others.

Kramsch emphasizes teaching culture as difference.

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Cultural Difference
• Within each culture there are
differences related to age,
gender, regional origin, ethnic
background, and social class.
• People from the same country or
language groups will not
necessarily have the same
cultural beliefs, values or ways of
doing things. “Untitled” by Mrs. Brown is licensed under a Pixabay License. It is free to use and share.

(McKay, 2002)

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Using Cultural Materials
Teaching EIL authentically means including a variety of cultural
materials. McKay (2002) identified three types of cultural
materials.
• Source culture materials
• Target culture materials
• International culture materials

In the next two slides you will see a visualization of

these ideas.

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“Kachru’s Circles and Culture” (2009) by University of Maryland Baltimore County is licensed under CC BY 4.0 for use in the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State

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“3 Types of Cultural Materials” by Zarin Marvi for University of Maryland Baltimore County is licensed under CC BY 4.0 for use in the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

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This new understanding of English as an international language changes
the role of non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs).

“The evidence clearly suggests that the use of EIL will continue to grow,
an international language that belongs, not just to native speakers,
but to all of its users. Given this shift in ownership, the time has come
for decisions regarding teaching goals and approaches to be given to
local educators so that they can take their rightful place as valid users
of English. For, in the end, they are in the best position to understand
what their students need to know, and to encourage them to learn
and use English fully to participate in our growing global community.”
(McKay, 2002)

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Facts
• Nonnative English-speakers outnumber native-speakers.
• People now use English as a second or additional language,
largely to communicate with other second language users
who have different cultures and languages.
• English is the language most widely taught as a foreign
language in over 100 countries and almost a quarter of
the world’s population is already fluent or competent in
English (Crystal, 1997).

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Conclusion
• People (both native speakers and those whose L1 is not English) have
‘mixed feelings’ about English becoming a global language.
• Since nobody owns it any more or everyone who has learned it now
owns it, they have a right to use it in the way they want.
• In a global sense, an educational goal of EIL is to enable speakers to
communicate their ideas and culture to others.

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 As a teacher of English as an international
language (EIL), how will the ideas we discussed
effect the way you approach teaching language
and culture?

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References (Copyright)
This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public Domain or Creative Commons-licensed, and therefore
not for public use. Please do not save a copy for your personal use, and do not use it after the course ends.

• Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. (1999) Cultural Mirrors: Materials and methods in the EFL classroom. In E.
Hinkle (Ed.), Culture in second language teaching (pp196-219). Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press.
• Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge University Press.
• Goshgarian, G. (2010). Exploring Language 12th Ed. Longman.
• Kramsch, C. (1993). Culture and Context in English Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
• McKay, S.L. (2002). Teaching English as an International Language. Oxford.
• McKay, S.L. (2003). The cultural basis of teaching English as an international language. TESOL
Matters, 13(4).

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