University English teachers’ ideologies in respect of English language policy in Taiwanese higher education

Abstract

English is recently used as a lingua franca (ELF) in global communication, involving people from different socio-lingualcultural backgrounds. However, the fact of using ELF still has not been fully recognized in Taiwan, where English is mainly considered as a second, foreign, or international language. Many institutions in non-Anglophone countries nowadays have started to use English as a medium of instruction (EMI) and launched new language policies. In Taiwan, for example, the language policies in higher education are graduation benchmark and EMI. Besides, language teachers’ attitudes and perceptions towards English also have great influence on students’ attitudes. Researchers have explored the issue of EMI and language policies from various perspectives, but mainly from students’ perspectives rather than from language teachers’. Given this gap, this research explores Taiwanese university English language teachers’ perceptions of English, by considering the aforementioned language policies and teaching practices from their viewpoints. Thus, one of the aims in this research is to discover teachers’ language ideologies guiding their own and students’ perceptions of English, as well as their attitudes towards ELF.

Using a qualitative method research design, this research employed two sets of data collection tool: semi-structured interview and focus group. The research was conducted with Taiwanese university English language teachers from different universities/colleges in three regions of Taiwan. To analyse qualitative data, a mixture of qualitative content analysis, discourse analysis, and positioning theory were applied.

Participants’ language ideologies were emerged from several factors, for example, the previous education experiences. The results show that overall, participants do not hold standard language ideology but still believe English as a native language (ENL) norm is necessary in language education. Most of participants also hold negative attitude towards the current language policies in Taiwan. Furthermore, many participants have limited knowledge of ELF but approve the theory and perspective.

The research has ideological and practical implications for English language policy and practice in Taiwanese higher education. The results propose that education authorities and policymakers should reconsider the English role in Taiwan as well as in the world and revise the current English language policy in order to make them more in-line with the current sociolinguistic reality of English use.

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