Matsuda and Kubota

I found this week’s reading a perfect way to close the semester, giving teachers implications. While I rejoiced over the article by Matsuda, the article by Kubota brought unwanted feelings. I will start with Matsuda’s World English. There were several teachers suggestions on how to accept and teach the different standards and varieties of Englishes. I agree with the suggestions, we as pre-service teachers/teachers must give the students all the information available to us so that they can make a language choice. For example, students need to understand both the dominant and the non-dominant language form, what works and what does not, and the risk associated with using a particular form. Giving students this type of information allows them to grow language wise and also gives them a choice to which form to use depending on the context. Although teaching the different forms or varieties is important, I believe the real work is manifested in how the teaching is carried out, the method one uses. We must teach them without “valorizing the privileged varieties” I believe this was a good point to be made. I believe we must try to instill a sense that all forms and varieties are the equal. We must teach without making one variety appear better than the other.  Reading this made me think about the video we watched in class of the teacher who taught his students about the different varieties through a game. I believe this is a great example of how the different forms can be taught without giving more power to one. I strongly agreed with the teachers implication that the author mentioned in the article, I believe we must present students with a wide variety of information so that they can have the option of which form to use.

The article by Kubota on the other hand brought some disturbing feelings.  It was shocking to me to find out the term “foreign language” essentially means English (at least in Japan). The world has been swallow by the power , and benefits ( whether true or not) that is associated with learning English that they go as far as dismissing other language and overtly publicize that English is better.  For example the article mentions the different treatments that two individual students receive base on the language they are learning, with the students learning English receiving more praises and attention while the other student is left alone.  There is also a false idea/plan that advertises that other languages are being offered when in reality it is false.  For example, in the Course of Study for high school that advertises foreign language as being different language but nevertheless there is only one foreign language offered, English. This just goes to support the idea that foreign language is English. Another issue that is brought up in this article is the discrimination that exits between the different English countries and ethnicities. Because English is so closely linked with American and British English other countries tend to suffer some discrimination or biases, this is another piece of information that I found to be discouraging especially for those are not white. ALTs from other countries are often giving a hard time although they speak native English just like the rest. For example the Australian ALT who is asked to speak with an American accent, as if that is effetely done, or the African American ATL is asked to speak Standard English. These bias ideas revolve around the idea of English having one correct form. Although the article states that we have grown in our school of thoughts, I believe we still have a great way to go.