Abstract
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is today a research area which has attracted a lot of attention. This paper builds on recent research in this field and explores Taiwanese English as a foreign language (EFL) and international students' (FLF) perceptions toward Englishes. The participants were (i) EFL sophomores who took college English courses (n = 1965) and (ii) ELF graduate students in an international MBA (IMBA) program (n = 97) in Taiwan. Comparing the survey results enables the researchers to investigate English learning perceptions between undergraduate students, who learn English as a foreign language, and IMBA students, who study in ELF classrooms and use English for academic learning to communicate with instructors and fellow students. In addition to survey, interview data were collected from 13 ELF students so that qualitative data were available for analysis. The result of this study suggests the need to reformulate English education in Taiwan so that English becomes an effective tool for learning and communication in academic ELF settings. This will involve raising awareness of English varieties, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and developing accommodation strategies to facilitate international communication.
摘要
本文探討英語為外語學習者以及國際英語使用者對於不同英語的觀感。研究對象為(一)就讀於臺灣一所大學的二年級生 (n = 1965)，及(二)就讀同一所大學、修讀全英語授課課程的國際企業管理研究生 (n = 97)。本研究透過問卷及面談瞭解上述兩學生族群對標準英語及全球各地不同英語類型的看法及意見。研究結果顯示為了讓英語能成為高等教育學生有效的學術學習及溝通工具，有迫切需求去修正臺灣現今的英語教學方針；這些修正包括提升學生對不同英文類型的覺知，培養跨文化了解，以及發展適應性策略來輔助跨國際溝通。本研究根據研究發現歸納結論並提出建議，期能透過訓練加強大學生的國際觀及國際溝通能力。
About the authors
Wenli Tsou is Full Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages & Literature, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. She received her PhD in Foreign & Second Language Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is the project leader of the National Cheng Kung University ESP program, and she has published more than 50 journal articles and book chapters. Her research interests include teacher training, ESP, English as a Lingua Franca, and reading literacy.
Fay Chen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages & Literature, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. She received her PhD from the same university. Her research interests include ESP, literature, and literary theories.
©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
