English Language Standards - Essay Example

Students Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code and Name: Date of Submission: INTRODUCTION The debate on the standards of English language has been discussed widely and by several researchers and due to that it has been of a considerable body of research. We find that earlier on so many research works has been focusing on British and American English and have basically dealt with the standard features of the language. It’s quite evident that in recent researches other varieties of English are especially the new English’s have been given more interest and more time and resources have been put to work on it. Well known examples of new englishes include Indian English, Philippine English, Singapore English and African English’s which happen to be of nations such as Nigeria and Ghana. Nigeria and Ghana are examples of native nations where this English language has been developed for not only one purpose but a wide range of functions within the community setup. Among other varieties of English, new English’s is an example that has become localized through the influence of the outer languages of the regions where they are used and through their adoption to the life and culture of their speakers. These englishes also have their beginnings in the colonial era. In this research paper we will critically examine the major debates on the standards for English language education and will be focusing more on the new English’s. Standards are features that are put in place in order to improve and emphasize other national, state and local standards and contribute to ongoing n discussions about the English language education. Will also discuss about the endonormative and exornomative standards for Asian and African Englishes. In dealing with this, the issue of circles of English as stated by Braj Kachru happens to work as a great influence to this research. Before examining the standards of English in Asia it’s important to understand how English language spreads to those areas then from that it will lead us to the standards of English language education there, this is because it’s evident that after the spread of a certain particular thing at a place then the need to learn and know more about the thing will rise, equally to the English language, after its spread we find that the need to learn about the language will grow, therefore the issue of English language education will eventually come to be developed. Since the English language education will be in place then the standards should be set for its learning and teaching therefore this brings about the discussion on the standards for English language education. The people involved in the English language education happen to be beneficiaries of the language standards for it has several guiding visions that include: providing ample room for the innovation and creativity essential to teaching and learning, Standards for the English language arts available from http//: www.ncte.org/standards secondly these standards for English language should be considered as a whole, not as a distinct and separable among others. STANDRADS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION English language education standards are similar in every detail for both the classroom and large-scale statement assessment frameworks. They happen to bring about an impression on the social and academic aspect of situation of on acquiring the second language. These standards also address a specific content for language acquisition. 1. Standards for English language education are designed that the English language learners uses English in instructional process and communication within the school setting, by this it means that the language learners are expected to share and exchange information not only for the purpose of relating to the society or its organization but also as a result of following a direction or order. Should also communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the context of language arts. This standard for English language education happens to hold within four language domains. This language domains on their own happen to reflect modal quality of the communication that further described by the language As developed by MargoGottlieb,P.h.D Lead developer,WIDA Consortium, high degree of skill levels and their model performance indicators. The domains include listening, speaking, reading and writing.(As developed by MargoGottlieb,P.h.D Lead developer,WIDA Consortium) 2. In focusing on the English’s especially New English’s we find that they have a certain formal properties including lexical which involves relating to the words and vocabulary of a language, phonological where there is contrastive relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the fundamental components of a language and grammatical among other properties that happen to differ from those of British or American standard English. The lexical trends indicate independent developments in new Englishes. 3. Thirdly, the development of understanding of respect for a range of different things in language use, patterns and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographical regions and social roles. An example of Africa would work for this case since in Africa English language is not a native tongue but we find that it happens to be lingua franca between ethnic and language groups. 4. A variety of technological and information resource put in place to gather and trigger information and to create a communicate knowledge. Among these are libraries, databases, computer network, and video. 5. New englishes being on the list of items to be discussed on research in the globalization sector can be and has been viewed in a variety of perspectives. The standard of English language education on one hand is the world’s leading language of communication; it’s widely used in the international communication. From this, we find that English language has and continues to be used in different globalised sectors. Its termed as one efficient form of communication for we see for instance its used in international summits where there is international discussions with major stakeholders on the issues dealing with globalization where we find that English language is considered in that role. It’s indeed an absolutely necessary tool for global diplomacy, economic and media and also individual interactions across language boundaries. In that case we find that English language education is a way too important and its teaching and learning are equally important. From that the language education is set and developed on high standards to meet the international levels as well. On the other hand it’s seen as a killer language for its responsible for the wiping out of indigenous language, dialects and cultures around the globe. Despite all the fundamental and ideological differences these two points of views both look at English language education in a better than reality form also and of the same kind standardized form and its translation function. VIEW IN REGARD TO ENDONORMARTIVE AND EXONORMATIVE STANDARDS OF ENGHLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN AFRICA AND ASIA. The discussion of English language as developed by Braj Kachru which was the model of world Englishes is captured in three circles of languages which are the inner circles, outer circles and the expanding circle. English language in Africa and Asia we will focus on the outer circle of the concrete circle of languages . The second Diaspora of English produced English which was facilitated by the outer circle which then spread the language by the use of Britain in Africa and Asia and it was through the empirical expansion. In the outer circle which includes Africa and Asia English language appears to be norm developing, this means the native speakers here set standards for English language. On the exornomative standards will focus on its stabilization as by Schneider’s dynamic model. At this stage, settle communities tend to stabilize politically under the British rule. English becomes more important and noticeable and though the ordinary English is a common language shared by various people the speakers look to England for their officially sanctioned norms. This means the speakers here do not set the standards for the English language education. Here the adoption for local vocabulary continues bilingualism amongst the naturally occurring population increases through education and increased contacts with English settlers. Knowledge of English becomes a valuable thing and a new group of people considered superior develops. The endornomative stabilization is characterized by the slow progress in acceptance of social norms supported by a new locally rooted linguistic, self-confidence. Acceptance of local Englishes brings out this new affinity. National dictionaries are enthusiastically supported and literacy creativity in local Englishes begin to flourish’s CONCLUSION Standards for English language education have been put to level that is of good assistance in the development of the languages education. These standards of the English language education have been somewhat well maintained, however the most significant pressure for English language education to evolve is in areas where English language is viewed as a majority second language. REFERENCE Kachru, Y (2006).World English in Asia. (Larry E. Smith Eds). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University press. Crystal, D (2007) English as a Global Language. Cambridge University press. MargoGottlieb, P.h.D Lead developer, WIDA Consortium Standards for the English language arts available from http//: www.ncte.org/standards Read More