Abstract: Perhaps the most dramatic development that has taken place in the field of English language teaching in my lifetime has been the shift in its primary function: from being mainly the language of nations such as the UK or USA or an intra-national means of communication in countries that were formerly colonies of English-speaking countries, such as India or the Philippines, to being mainly a means of international communication. English today is primarily used worldwide in a variety of spheres of activity: professional or business interactions, study and research, travel and tourism, entertainment, personal relationships, and more. The number of speakers of English whose first language (L1) is another language already vastly exceeds that of those whose L1 is English, and the gap will only widen in the foreseeable future. For most of its learners, English is therefore no longer a foreign language (i.e., one that is owned by a particular 'other' nation or community) but first and foremost an international language: one that has no particular national owner. This development has brought with it a number of changes in the principles and practice of English language teaching.
Publication Year: 2024
Publication Date: 2024-03-07
Language: en
Type: other
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 4
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