Undergraduate - Area of study English as an international language

English as an international language (EIL) is a timely and innovative discipline that offers a new perspective on the use of English in today's globalised and internationalised world. It also examines the implications of the global spread of the English language for intercultural communication. One of the important features of the units offered in this program is that students are encouraged to critically reflect on their experiences of using, learning, and/or teaching English in a variety of contexts and examine them in the context of the development of intercultural communication skills.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the major, students will be able to:

• demonstrate a high level of familiarity with different Englishes in the world (World Englishes)
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the complexity of the language-culture-identity relationship in intercultural communication
• demonstrate a high level of understanding of different models for teaching and learning English and the impact of ethnocentric teaching and learning materials or activities on learners and teachers of English
• demonstrate cultural and linguistic sensitivity towards speakers from different cultural backgrounds, and appreciate the diversity of cultural values and worldviews reflected in different Englishes
• develop critical views on the ideology behind the learning and teaching of English
• demonstrate a critical perspective on contrastive rhetoric and hegemonic models of writing in multilingual and multicultural contexts
• conduct English as an international language research projects competently.