The globalization and nativization processes of English resulted in the appearance of a large number of regional varieties of English. Concerning their accent between the single norm theory and the multiple norm diffe...The globalization and nativization processes of English resulted in the appearance of a large number of regional varieties of English. Concerning their accent between the single norm theory and the multiple norm differences, there has always been a debate theory. This paper argues against the ＇standard-nonstandard＇ classification of English accents upheld by the former, and revises the concept of ＇the three concentric circles of English＇ proposed by the latter, providing some helpful tips on the current instruction of listening and speaking in China＇s colleges and universities.展开更多
American English is predominantly prescribed as the primary English learning model at every educational level in Taiwan and limited attention is paid to other accents of English. It is therefore the intention of this ...American English is predominantly prescribed as the primary English learning model at every educational level in Taiwan and limited attention is paid to other accents of English. It is therefore the intention of this paper to investigate whether Taiwan Residents EFL learners have difficulties understanding British English after years of instruction in American English, and to identify differences between learners＇ attitudes towards these two varieties of English. EFL learners from two universities were randomly assigned to American and British English groups and required to listen to short texts recorded with either American or British accent. An independent simple t-test showed that no significant differences were found in listening comprehension scores, but responses on questionnaires revealed significant differences in attitudes towards American and British English. The influence of long-term instruction in American English was evidenced. Based on these findings, suggestions are provided for English language teaching in Taiwan and implications are drawn for the concept of English as an International Language （ELL）, that in order to pursue successful international communication with people of various native languages, EFL learners need to experience various accents of English.展开更多
Listening ability constitutes an important part of a language learner＇s communicative language competence. This universal agreement necessitates an inclusion of a listening sub-test in any English proficiency test ai...Listening ability constitutes an important part of a language learner＇s communicative language competence. This universal agreement necessitates an inclusion of a listening sub-test in any English proficiency test aimed at evaluating the candidates＇ comprehensive competence. Being a criterion-referenced proficiency test, both TEM4 and TEM8 （Test for English Majors： Band 4/8） contain a listening sub-test in their test battery. In this case, improving the authenticity of the listening sub-tests in TEM will no doubt be a contributory factor in improving the authenticity of the whole test. Based on the analyses of the current listening sub-tests used in TEM, the author concludes that there exists some inauthenticity in the test tasks. One source of the inauthenticity results from the input and the other from the test tasks which seem to be stereotyped in the current tests. In order to solve these two problems, the author suggests that major English varieties and limited-constructed-response question types be included in the TEM sub-tests so as to improve the authenticity of the tests and the accuracy of assessment.展开更多
文摘The globalization and nativization processes of English resulted in the appearance of a large number of regional varieties of English. Concerning their accent between the single norm theory and the multiple norm differences, there has always been a debate theory. This paper argues against the ＇standard-nonstandard＇ classification of English accents upheld by the former, and revises the concept of ＇the three concentric circles of English＇ proposed by the latter, providing some helpful tips on the current instruction of listening and speaking in China＇s colleges and universities.
文摘American English is predominantly prescribed as the primary English learning model at every educational level in Taiwan and limited attention is paid to other accents of English. It is therefore the intention of this paper to investigate whether Taiwan Residents EFL learners have difficulties understanding British English after years of instruction in American English, and to identify differences between learners＇ attitudes towards these two varieties of English. EFL learners from two universities were randomly assigned to American and British English groups and required to listen to short texts recorded with either American or British accent. An independent simple t-test showed that no significant differences were found in listening comprehension scores, but responses on questionnaires revealed significant differences in attitudes towards American and British English. The influence of long-term instruction in American English was evidenced. Based on these findings, suggestions are provided for English language teaching in Taiwan and implications are drawn for the concept of English as an International Language （ELL）, that in order to pursue successful international communication with people of various native languages, EFL learners need to experience various accents of English.
文摘Listening ability constitutes an important part of a language learner＇s communicative language competence. This universal agreement necessitates an inclusion of a listening sub-test in any English proficiency test aimed at evaluating the candidates＇ comprehensive competence. Being a criterion-referenced proficiency test, both TEM4 and TEM8 （Test for English Majors： Band 4/8） contain a listening sub-test in their test battery. In this case, improving the authenticity of the listening sub-tests in TEM will no doubt be a contributory factor in improving the authenticity of the whole test. Based on the analyses of the current listening sub-tests used in TEM, the author concludes that there exists some inauthenticity in the test tasks. One source of the inauthenticity results from the input and the other from the test tasks which seem to be stereotyped in the current tests. In order to solve these two problems, the author suggests that major English varieties and limited-constructed-response question types be included in the TEM sub-tests so as to improve the authenticity of the tests and the accuracy of assessment.
