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Teaching English as an International Language: Problems and Research Questions

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Psycholinguistic and Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Second Language Learning and Teaching

Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

The fact that English has become a means of global communication at present appears to have been the cause of different changes that can be observed in the language system itself as well as in the process of its teaching, learning and use. The purpose of the present chapter is to show the nature of these new phenomena and to point to the necessity of organizing specific research in particular fields. The most important areas of studies will then include: (1) factors determining the development of English as an international language, (2) the rules of simplification of language material, (3) the influence of English on other languages, whose users acquire it as an international language, (4) the nature of the acquisition process of English as an international language, (5) the characteristic features of its teaching and learning, (6) the possibilities of forming an optimal method of teaching English as an international language, (7) concentrating on intercultural communication, (8) teacher education and teacher qualifications, (9) the features of the learner and user of English as an international language, and (10) the nature of strategies of communication in English as an international language.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    I was very impressed when, by chance, I found a copy of the journal Neofilolog from 1931, being impressed even more so having discovered in it professor Dyboski’s article about the perspectives of English of becoming an international language. Since the text was written so many years ago, I thought that I might acquaint the reader with the original Polish version of the fragments quoted here: “Wstąpiliśmy niewątpliwie w okres dziejów, w którym panującym językiem międzynarodowym będzie angielski—może przez jedno stulecie, a może I dłużej. (…) Kto jednakowoż zdaje sobie jasno sprawę z przedstawionych powyżej tendencyj ogólno-światowych w dziedzinie językowej, ten wątpić ani na chwilę nie może, że godzina powszechnej nauki języka angielskiego w Polsce wybije w niedalekiej przyszłości i że jako ogólna międzynarodowa koniecznoć weźmie górę nawet nad względami na sąsiedztwo geograficzne i sympatje polityczne. Pierwszym objawem, dowodzącym, że ta konieczność już toruje sobie u nas drogę, jest szybko wzrastający w ostatnich latach popyt na naukę języka angielskiego wśród dorosłych, szczególnie w takich centrach ruchu przemysłowego jak Katowice” (Dyboski 1931, pp. 57–62).

  2. 2.

    All the quotations from Polish sources have been translated by the author of the present chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of English Studies, University of Silesia, Silesia, Poland

    Maria Wysocka

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  1. Maria Wysocka
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Correspondence to Maria Wysocka .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , School of English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Al. Niepodleglosci 4, Poznan, 61-874, Poland

    Krystyna Drozdzial-Szelest

  2. , Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Nowy Swiat 28-30, Kalisz, 62-800, Poland

    Mirosław Pawlak

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Wysocka, M. (2013). Teaching English as an International Language: Problems and Research Questions. In: Drozdzial-Szelest, K., Pawlak, M. (eds) Psycholinguistic and Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Second Language Learning and Teaching. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23547-4_3

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