Perceptions of University-Level ESL Teachers about English as an International Language
Abstract
This study used a quantitative, descriptive research design to explore ESL teachers’ perceptions and practices regarding pronunciation, accent, and comprehensibility in teaching English as an International Language (EIL).A sample of 50 ESL teachers from public and private universities was selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected via a structured survey comprising 12 close-ended questions addressing teachers’ attitudes toward pronunciation instruction, accent preferences, exposure to English varieties, and teaching materials. Findings show that teachers prioritize comprehensibility over native-like pronunciation, aligning with the global emphasis on intelligibility in EIL. Teachers favored native accents like British and American but also showed regional preferences. Teachers acknowledged the importance of exposing students to diverse accents. However, traditional native-speaker norms persist, with only 50% supporting teaching non-native varieties of English. Bilingual educators were preferred for bridging linguistic and cultural gaps. These findings reflect the ongoing shift toward EIL principles emphasizing diversity and intelligibility.
References
Abeywickrama, P. (2013). Why not non-native varieties of English as listening comprehension test input? RELC Journal, 44(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688212473270
Baker, C. (1992). Attitudes and language. Multilingual Matters.
Chien, S.-C. (2018). Attitudes towards varieties of English by non-native and native speakers: A comparative view from Taiwan and the UK (PhD thesis). University of Glasgow. https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/8932
Christou, E., Thomas, N., & McKinley, J. (2022). Chinese pre-service English teachers’ beliefs about English as an international language (EIL). Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(10), 4166–4181. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2148681
Coskun, A. (2011). Future English teachers' attitudes towards EIL pronunciation. Journal of English as an International Language, 6(2), 46–68. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED527146.pdf
Cunningham, U. (2009). Models and targets for English pronunciation in Vietnam and Sweden. Research in Language, 7(1), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10015-009-0008-3
Dweik, B., & Al-Barghouthi, E. (2014). Attitudes of Jordanian graduate students towards native and non-native English language teachers. Journal of Education and Human Development, 3(2), 627–646. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291334204_Attitudes_of_Jordanian_Graduate_Students_towards_Native_and_Non-Native_English_Language_Teachers
Echiverri, L. L., Mei, H., & Liu, F. (2021). Do native and non-native English speaker teachers really matter? EFL Chinese undergraduate students’ perceptions in a Sino-foreign university. International Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 1(4), 22–38. https://doi.org/10.33422/ijsfle.v1i4.273
Farid, S., & Iftikhar, S. (2023). Analysis of language variation in Urdu by Punjabi and Pashto speakers. Asian Journal of Academic Research, 4(3), 62–73. https://ajar.org.pk/index.php/home/article/view/2023-vol-04-issue-3-analysis-of-language-variation-in-urdu/pdf
Gilakjani, A. P. (2017). English pronunciation instruction: Views and recommendations. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(6), 1249–1255. http://www.academypublication.com/issues2/jltr/vol08/06/30.pdf
Hino, N. (2017). The significance of EMI for the learning of EIL in higher education: Four cases from Japan. In B. Fenton-Smith, P. Humphreys, & I. Walkinshaw (Eds.), English medium instruction in higher education in Asia-Pacific (pp. 115–131). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0
Jenkins, J. (2000). The phonology of English as an international language: New models, new norms, new goals. Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, J. (2006). English as a lingua franca: Attitude and identity. Oxford University Press.
Jin, J. (2005). An investigation into the influence of Chinese undergraduates’ developing view of World Englishes on their preference for a native or non-native speaker teacher of English. Asian Englishes, 8(1), 48–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2005.10801154
Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification, and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literatures (pp. 11–30). Cambridge University Press.
Kachru, B. B. (1990). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions, and models of non-native Englishes. University of Illinois Press.
Khan, N., & Ali, M. W. (2023). Government school English teachers’ perceptions of pronunciation in English as an international language. University of Chitral Journal of Linguistics & Literature, 7(2), 274–280. https://jll.uoch.edu.pk/index.php/jll/article/view/317
Lai, H. T. (2008). English as an international language? Taiwanese university teachers' dilemma and struggle. English Today, 24(3), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078408000278
Levis, J. (2020). Revisiting the intelligibility and nativeness principles. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 6(3), 310–328. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.20050.lev
Ling, C. Y., & Braine, G. (2007). The attitudes of university students towards non-native speaker English teachers in Hong Kong. RELC Journal, 38(3), 257–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688207085847
Lowenberg, P. H. (1986). Non-native varieties of English: Nativization, norms, and implications. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 8(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100005805
Monfared, A., & Khatib, M. (2018). English or Englishes? Outer and expanding circle teachers' awareness of and attitudes towards their own variants of English in ESL/EFL teaching contexts. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(2), 56–75. https://doi.org/10.14221/AJTE.2018V43N2.4
Monfared, A., Mozaheb, M. A., & Shahiditabar, M. (2016). Where the difference lies: Teachers’ perceptions toward cultural content of ELT books in three circles of world Englishes. Cogent Education, 3(1), Article 1125334. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2015.1125334
Oğuzhan, M., & Kürüm, E. Y. (2024). Teacher attitudes towards World Englishes at tertiary level. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 6(2), 180–185. https://doi.org/10.32996/jeltal.2024.6.2.1
Prakaianurat, P., & Kangkun, P. (2018). Language attitudes of Thai working adults toward native and non-native English varieties. Manusya: Journal of Humanities, 21(2), 92–111. https://doi.org/10.1163/26659077-02102005
Shin, J., Eslami, Z. R., & Chen, W. C. (2011). Presentation of local and international culture in current international English-language teaching textbooks. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 24(3), 253–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2011.614694
Tajeddin, Z., Alemi, M., & Pashmforoosh, R. (2017). Idealized native-speaker linguistic and pragmatic norms in English as an international language: Exploring the perceptions of nonnative English teachers. Language and Intercultural Communication, 18(3), 300–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2017.1413105
Takidze, M. (2024). Significance of Teaching and Learning English Phonetics (Pronunciation), Influencing Factors and the Methods to Overcome those Challenges. Language and Culture, (31), 116–120. https://doi.org/10.52340/lac.2024.31.20
Thi Trang Loan, T. (2023). An access into the reality of using non-native English materials. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature, 11(10), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.20431/2347-3134.111000
Walkinshaw, I., & Oanh, D. H. (2014). Native and non-native English language teachers: Student perceptions in Vietnam and Japan. SAGE Open, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/215824401453
van den Doel, R. (2010). Native and non-native models in ELT: Advantages, disadvantages, and the implications of accent parallelism. Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics, 46(3), 349–365. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10010-010-0018-2
Vančová, H. (2019). Current issues in pronunciation teaching to non-native learners of English. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 7(1), 140–155. https://doi.org/10.2478/jolace-2019-0015
Wang, J., Binti Ahmad, N. K., Jamil, H., & Darmi, R. (2024). Voices unveiled: Navigating NNESTs’ beliefs on pronunciation teaching－A systematic review. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(6), 915–928. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i6.7561
Wang, L. (Evelyn), & Fang, F. (Gabriel). (2020). Native-speakerism policy in English language teaching revisited: Chinese university teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards native and non-native English-speaking teachers. Cogent Education, 7(1), Article 1778374. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1778374
Wang, Y., & Wen, X. (2023). Nativeness versus intelligibility as goals of English pronunciation teaching in China: Changing attitudes in national syllabi and curriculum standards. Asian Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 8(17). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-023-00189-2
Wong, R. H. (2018). Non-native EFL teachers’ perception of English accent in teaching and learning: Any preference? Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 8(2), 177–183. https://doi.org/10.17507/TPLS.0802.01
Zacharias, N. T. (2014). Integrating EIL pedagogy in a pre-service teacher education program. TEFLIN Journal, 25(2), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.15639/TEFLINJOURNAL.V25I2/217-232
