EFL to ESL status

Question

0According to Jenkins, in her book World Englishes, twenty countries are at present (2003) in transition from EFL to ESL status. She mentions Argentina, Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Sudan and Switzerland as being among those countries, but doesn't give the rest. Can anyone tell me which are the other countries that are making the transition from EFL to ESL status? 02br02br00How will such transitions effect what is taught there regarding English learning?0-

Mithunbarik · Accepted Answer

0 What is the diference between EFL and ESL. I know F= Foreign, S= Secondary. But what does it signify actually? 0-

Milky · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Mithunbarik12cite10What is the diference between EFL and ESL. I know F= Foreign, S= Secondary. But what does it signify actually?12blockquote

10EFL = English as a Foreign Language02br
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00ESL = English as a Second Language02br
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00"00English outside English-speaking countries02br
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01i00EFL02i00 indicates the use of English in a non-English-speaking region. Study can occur either in the student's home country, as part of the normal school curriculum or otherwise, or, for the more privileged minority, in an 05100 country which they visit as a sort of educational tourist, particularly before or after graduating from university. 01i05202i00 is the teaching of English as a foreign language; note that this sort of instruction can take place in any country, English-speaking or not. Typically, EFL is learned either to pass exams as a necessary part of one's education, or for career progression while working for an organisation or business with an international focus. EFL may be part of the state school 05300 in countries where English has no special status (as is the case in most of the 05400); it may also be supplemented by lessons paid for privately. Teachers of EFL generally assume that students are 05500 in their 05600.02br
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01h3

00[05800]00 00English within English-speaking countries02h3

00The other broad grouping is the use of English within an 05900, generally by 051000, 051100 and their children. It includes the use of English in countries, often 051200, where English is an 051300 even if it is not spoken as a 051400 by the majority of the population. In the US, Canada and Australia, this use of English is called 01i00ESL02i00 (English as a second language). This term has been criticised on the grounds that many learners already speak more than one language. A counter-argument says that the word "a" in the phrase "a second language" means there is no presumption that English is 01i00the02i00 second acquired language (see also 01i051502i00). 01i00TESL02i00 is the teaching of English as a second language."02br
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00More here:02br
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01a05000 02a0240hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_learning_and_teaching241hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglophonecanglophone242hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaching_English_as_a_Foreign_LanguagecTEFL243hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curriculumccurriculum244cEuropean Union245hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literatecliterate246hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_languagecmother tongue517nameEnglish_within_English-speaking_countries248hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=English_language_learning_and_teaching&action=edit§ion=3cedit249hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AnglospherecEnglish-speaking region2410hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugeecrefugees2411hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrantcimmigrants2412cformer British colonies2413hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_languagecofficial language2414hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_tonguecmother tongue2415hrefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_languagecSecond language

Mithunbarik · Answer

0Thanks Milky for the information. 02br
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00So you are looking for countries where English is not 'foreign' i.e. more acceptable in everyday life?0-

Forbes · Answer

0I think that in countries like Denmark it is more appropriate to describe English as an 01i00auxiliary02i00 language. I think the term 01i00second02i00 language implies that the language has some degree of official standing (whether sanctioned by law or not). I do not think that the number of people who speak the language (however well they speak it) has anything to do with it.0-

Milky · Answer

0<I think that in countries like Denmark it is more appropriate to describe English as an 01i00auxiliary02i00 language. >02br
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00What do you mean by 01i00auxiliary02i00 language, Forbes, and how would the teaching of that differ from EFL or ESL teaching?0-

Forbes · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Milky12cite10What do you mean by 11i10auxiliary12i10 language?12blockquote

10“Second” language in an educational context simply means “another” language.02br
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00 02br
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00In other contexts I take “second” language to mean a language of which in a given community most or all of the following is true:02br
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00 02br
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00(a)00 00It is spoken by many, if not the majority of, members of the community who have a perfect or near perfect command of the language.02br
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00(b)00 00It is widely used in the community by the members of that community when dealing with each other, but is not the mother tongue of any members of that community. 02br
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00(c)00 00It will be seen written everywhere in the community.02br
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00(d)00 00It has newspapers aimed at members of the community published in that language and some of the television and radio is broadcast in that language. 02br
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00(e)00 00It will be used for official purposes, irrespective of whether it is an official language.02br
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00(f)00 00It is used for keeping business records. 02br
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00(g)00 00At least some part of the education of the community may be conducted in the language or schools may exist where education is conducted exclusively in the language. 02br
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00(h)00 00It is probably the language of a former colonial power which once ruled the community. 02br
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00 02br
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00By an “auxiliary” language I mean one of which in a given community most or all of the following is true:02br
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00(i)00 00It is spoken by many, if not the majority of, members of the community who have a perfect or near perfect command of the language.02br
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00(j)00 00It is not generally used in the community by the members of that community when dealing with each other, but is used when dealing with outsiders.02br
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00(k)00 00It is unlikely be seen written everywhere in the community.02br
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00(l)00 00It does not have newspapers aimed at members of the community published in that language and none of the television and radio is broadcast in that language, except perhaps for educational purposes. 02br
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00(m)00 00It will not be used for official purposes02br
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00(n)00 00It will not used for keeping business records. 02br
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00(o)00 00No part of the education of the community will be conducted in the language and no schools will exist where education is conducted exclusively in the language. Nevertheless, at tertiary level the language may be used for accessing resources.02br
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00(p)00 00It is probably not the language of a former colonial power which once ruled the community; rather, the language has become an auxiliary language because the members of the community perceive an advantage, whether cultural and/or economic, in having a knowledge of it.02br
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00 02br
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00When I refer to members of a community I exclude recently arrived and expatriate members of the community.02br
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01blockquote

01cite10Milky12cite10...and how would the teaching of that differ from EFL or ESL teaching?12blockquote

12br
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00I think that how the language is taught depends very much on the community.0-

Milky · Answer

0<“Second” language in an educational context simply means “another” language.>02br
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00Not always, Forbes. Some people like to distinguish ESL from ESOL, and some don't bother.02br
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00<(a) It is spoken by many, if not the majority of, members of the community who have a perfect or near perfect command of the language.>02br
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00<In other contexts I take “second” language to mean a language of which in a given community most or all of the following is true:>02br
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00I understand all your points, but do you see that the situation you describe has to begin somewhere? The topic statement mentioned 01b00transition02b00. If one is in transition, one can hardly be expected to fulfil all, or most, of your criteria above, can one?0-

Forbes · Answer

0Difficult to answer your point as I make a distinction between "second language" and "auxiliary language" and believe that each arises for different reasons so that in general neither one leads to the other, except perhaps over a long period.02br
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00To take the countries mentioned in your first thread, I cannot imagine that in any of them English is going to be used widely in any of the following circumstances any time soon:02br
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001. In internal business agreements02br
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002. In broadcasting and press aimed at nationals02br
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003. In legal proceedings02br
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004. At home02br
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005. For public notices, especially in areas where non-nationals are not found in large numbers.02br
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00Like many areas in linguistics, I do not say that there is any hard and fast distinction to be made.02br
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00Even where second languages are concerned, not all situations are the same.02br
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00Take three countries I have visited:02br
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01b00Tunisia02b02br
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00Everywhere you go everything is written in Arabic and French. If you buy a packet of anything one side will be in Arabic and the other side in French; all signs whether official or not are in Arabic and French (the exceptions are religious buildings where everything is in Arabic and international hotels where everything is in French); almost everyone seems to speak some French. However, Tunisians do not communicate with each other in French, at least when speaking - some Tunisians prefer to write in French as they find it easier than writing Arabic, which is not the same as the vernacular and has to be learned.02br
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01b00The Gambia02b02br
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00English is the 01i00only02i00 language you see written. To read and write in The Gambia means to read and write in English. Everyone seems to know at least some English. Gambians do not (as far as I could tell) use English to speak to each other. English is the only official or national language.02br
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01b00Sri Lanka02b02br
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00English is very widely spoken and seen written everywhere. It is not an official language, but is effectively a national language. In all the hotels I stayed in English is the only language written down. Many middle class Sri Lankans speak to each other in English at home, in some cases in preference to Sinhala or Tamil - many Sri Lankan children speak English as well as British or American children.02br
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00I have not visited any of the countries mentioned in your first post, but I doubt that any of the above descriptions could be applied (mutatis mutandis) to any of them.0-

Milky · Answer

0Ok, search over. I managed to find Graddol's "big" list.02br
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00Page 11. 01a05000 02a02br
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00"In those countries in table 6, the use of English for01b00 intranational02b00 communication is greatly increasing (such as professional discourse or higher education)."0230hrefhttp://www.britishcouncil.org/de/learning-elt-future.pdf

EFL to ESL status

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