| In this qualitative study eight international scholars and practitioners of English were interviewed in order to understand their viewpoints about how English language teaching is evolving from a role of English as a Foreign Language to one of English as an International Language in this contemporary world in which there are more nonnative speakers of English than native speakers of English. The opinions and beliefs of the participants were varied because the evolution of global English is a continuum.;Most of the participants agreed that nonnative English-speaking teachers are effective teachers and in some contexts could even be more so than native English-speaking teachers. Depending upon the purpose of the class, classroom codeswitching was seen as a possible beneficial tool, but sometimes it is used primarily because of the inadequate proficiency of the English language teacher or the need to get the information across in an English-medium content course.;English teacher education programs abroad have a long tradition of linking English with the American and British culture, and the Internet is a strong Western influence on people worldwide. However, there is the evolving view from some of the participants of this study that users of English are owners of English so that their culture becomes highlighted as well. It was also seen that Western methodologies do not always work in all countries and that teacher training programs need to teach students strategies for breakdowns in communication, particularly if English is being used for oral communication. Overall, the context and purpose of the class were seen as primary variables in the discussion of the topics involved under the umbrella of the evolution of English as an International Language. |
