English，Globalization，and Chinese Learner Perspectives

讲座主题：“English, Globalization, and Chinese Learner Perspectives”

讲课教师：Professor Terrence G. Wiley

时间：4月7日 周二 18:00—20:00

地点：中国人民大学苏州校区修远楼117教室

教师简介：

Dr. Terrence G. Wiley is President of the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC, and he serves as Special Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership and Graduate School, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. He is also Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University, where he served as Executive Dean of the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education and Director of the Division of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. He has also served as a Visiting Professor in the School of Foreign Languages for Renmin (Peoples’) University of China’s International Programs.

Professor Wiley’s teaching and research have focused on educational and applied linguistics, concentrating on educational language policies; language diversity and immigrant integration; teaching English as a second and international language; bilingualism, literacy and biliteracy studies; and bilingual, heritage and community language education. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Education with an emphasis in Linguistics, has two Master’s degrees, in Linguistics and Asian Studies, and a B.A. in History. He has won numerous awards for scholarship, teaching, and service, including the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award (2014).

讲座介绍:

This presentation addresses issues posed by English in the role of a lingua franca and considers how well it actually functions in that role. Some scholars predict the coming of a world in which English will be the primary second language, displacing the need to learn other languages. Others are concerned about the impact of English when it pushes other foreign languages out of the curriculum or weakens the emphasis on national or local languages. Proponents of English argue that it promotes economic opportunity, while others counter that it fails to deliver on that promise. In addressing these issues, the presentation notes the need to consider learner perspectives and experiences to better inform English language policies and practices.

The presentation will address the following questions:

§What are the expectations for English as a lingua franca?

§To what extent does English play that role, particularly in institutions of higher education?

§Can we expect it to play that role in the future?

§What can a recent survey tell us about Chinese learner expectations regarding English and their experiences as learners and users of the language?

It addressing the final question, this presentation presents findings based on a survey of over 1,600 Chinese university undergraduate students regarding their experiences as learners, their attitudes toward English, their motivations for learning the language, and their perceptions of best practices and areas for improvement.