Increasing Demand For English Instruction At All Levels And Forms Of Learning

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Before I present the results of the comparisons, it is useful to highlight some similarities and differences about China and Singapore. A common situation in both countries is the ever increasing demand for English instruction at all levels and forms of learning. China, an emerging world superpower, needs English to consolidate its current economic influence and efforts at modernization (Hu 2002), while the resource-scarce city-state of Singapore needs citizens with a good command of the language to reposition itself as a centre for knowledge, learning, and service industries, and to participate in overseas trade (Alsagoff 2007). Whereas Chinese EFL students receive little authentic input from their immediate educational and social environments, students in Singapore have English as a medium of instruction and also study it as a curriculum subject from preschool years. About half of Singaporean students come from English-speaking homes. Many, however, speak a colloquial variety known popularly as Links Of London Charms 'Singlish', the syntax, phonology, and lexical ...
... items of which are heavily influenced by vernacular languages in the community.

The first question in the discussion invites teacher opinion on the usefulness of British spoken grammar norms. Chinese teachers are on the whole happy to embrace the exonerative features that British spoken grammar provides and welcome more linguistic information from other NS varieties. They consider the ability to speak naturally and accurately like a NS from countries such as Britain to be a distinct advantage. Among Singaporean teachers, however, opinion is divided, revealing the complexities in language choice in societies where the local English variety competes with Anglo models for allegiance and acceptance. One issue that the teachers focused on was the relevance of NS norms of spoken grammar. Timmis (2002) had earlier reported that many teachers believed that it was unnecessary for learners to conform to NS norms. It has also been argued by others that using such a model could frustrate learners because it sets them up for a standard they may not attain. Many of the teachers involved in the discussion, however, seem to think otherwise. The Chinese teachers are firm in their view on using NS models for their teaching. They consider the models important for their learners as Chinese E F L learners do not get sufficient spoken English input that can help them produce speech that is natural and authentic. These teachers have taken a sociolinguistics course and are aware of issues about language variation, standardization, and challenges in applying NS norms. Nevertheless, when they reflect on their own learning experiences and their students' needs ('People do not speak English except in special contexts, such as meeting foreigners, so there is no authentic Chinese English'), they assert that NS models are not only crucial ('If they don't have a model to follow, they will be in confusion') but also empowering ('When your language is not standard, your voice cannot be heard') and motivating ('When we find our oral language echoes much of native speakers' language, our confidence rises').

A likely reason for this attitude is that the Chinese teachers are themselves successful EEL learners who have benefited from NS models in an input-poor environment. This is a situation that may not be appreciated fully by some NS teachers and teachers from Singapore Links Of London Interestingly, the teachers' attitude is similar to those of the learners in Timmis' (2002) study. Their opinions also lend support to Kuo's (2006) argument that NS models are appropriate for second language pedagogy as well as appealing to language learners. Furthermore, the teachers' endorsement of the pedagogic relevance of spoken grammar lends credence to Kuo's conclusion that a comprehensive NS model should 'serve as a complete and convenient starting point'. Zhang (2004) also reported the overwhelming preference amongst some Chinese E F L teacher trainees for an NS variety of spoken English. In Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, elementary school E F L teachers have expressed the hope that a proportion of their students will eventually achieve NS proficiency (Butler 2004). In light of what non-native speaker teachers want for their learners, there is clearly a need to re-examine current assertions that learners need to be exposed to only selected linguistic features of English.