School of Languages and Linguistics - Theses
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ItemIntegration of World Englishes into EFL Materials: A Case Study in the Brazilian Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education( 2021)The evolution of the English language into a global lingua franca and learners’ needs in the 21st century sociolinguistic landscape have drawn attention to calls for a paradigm shift in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). With this concern in mind, integrating World Englishes (WE) into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) materials is considered important in order to better prepare learners for using English in international contexts and to foster curriculum innovation. Aiming to examine how this integration could be made into EFL materials, a case study was conducted in the Brazilian Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education, focusing specifically on EFL materials developed for the e-Tec Language without Borders Programme released by the Ministry of Education. Making use of an autoethnographic approach, recollections of conversations with four writers and modules 1 and 2 materials were analysed in search of suggestions for WE integration into the program materials. Main findings revealed that a wider range of English varieties were included in module 2 and that module 1 was more focused on American and British English, which is in line with traditional English Language Teaching (ELT) in Brazil. In spite of the representation of WE in the materials, no activities drawing learners’ attention to the different varieties of English used or attempting to raise students’ awareness of English as a global lingua franca were identified, except for a comparison between American and British English. Also, it was found that ideological divergences regarding English language use and teaching among materials writers impacted on the expected outcomes in terms of WE inclusion. Based on the findings, five suggestions were made to integrate WE into the materials: 1. Balanced integration/representation of WE; 2. Noticeable English varieties; 3. Complementary WE activities; 4. Authentic audios; and 5. Integration of writers and learners.
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Item‘Language as relationality’ in Online Australian Indigenous Language Programs: A Case Study( 2021)Due to the deeply important role of language in connection to Country, culture and ancestors, many Indigenous peoples in Australia are working to maintain and revitalise their traditional languages through language learning programs. However, mainstream approaches to language teaching may neglect the Indigenous concept of language as relationality. Language as relationality refers to the inseparable connections between people, language, and Country. While online language programs may offer increased accessibility for learners, particularly in the wake of COVID-19, the place-based embedding of language may be neglected or undermined. Thus, this paper explores two research questions. Firstly, how is the concept of language as relationality expressed in the design of fully online Australian Indigenous language programs? Secondly, how do collaborative relationships between Indigenous language holders and academic institutions support embedding of relationality in program design? These research questions are investigated through a case study of two fully online Australian Indigenous languages programs, namely Bininj Kunwok and Noongar. The design elements which connect the learner to the language holders, language and Country are mapped out, including the use of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. Furthermore, one of the program creators for the Bininj Kunwok program is interviewed to find out more about the collaborative design process. Results indicate that language as relationality in the Bininj Kunwok and Noongar programs is expressed through culturally and contextually grounded course content, multimodal design features and a CLT approach. Relational design is facilitated by collaborative relationships between Indigenous language holders and academic institutions. These findings have implications for pedagogy in illustrating the compatibility of CLT with language as relationality, especially in structuring the program around culturally significant content, as well as highlighting the benefits of multimodal integration. Implications for the process of online program design foreground the significance of equitable partnerships with language holders.