Questão de Língua Inglesa

T E X T 1 Teaching English as a Global Language 01 With over 1.5 billion native and non-native 02 speakers, English is the world’s most widely spoken 03 language. Teaching English as a global language means 04 acknowledging the reasons for its worldwide presence. It is 05 important to provide context to help students understand 06 how exactly English became a global language. Present a 07 brief history lesson that traces English from its origins in 08 England to the dozens of countries that use it as a 09 dominant language today. 10 English is no longer linked to a particular country. 11 Pull up a map and ask students to start naming the 12 countries where English is spoken as a native language. 13 Then, ask them to find the countries where it is spoken as a 14 dominant language. Finally, ask them to find where it is 15 spoken by the majority of the population. This will remind 16 students that there are many ways that English is spoken 17 around the world. This can help change one’s perspective 18 from seeing English as having a single, correct form of 19 usage to seeing it as a way to facilitate communication 20 with people across the globe. 21 Students who are learning English as a global 22 language must be reminded that statistically speaking, they 23 are more likely to use English with non-native English 24 speakers than natives. This is because English has more 25 non-native speakers than native speakers! It’s estimated 26 that 70-75 percent of the world’s English speakers are non- 27 native. It’s highly likely that students will at some point 28 encounter an unexpected accent or dialect of English. 29 It is the heavy task of the global English teacher 30 to help students unlearn their fear of mistakes and 31 embrace communication for the sake of comprehension. 32 The idea that communication matters more than 33 grammatical precision is also important to help students 34 develop strategies for what to do when communication 35 breaks down. This means giving them tools like asking for 36 clarification, rephrasing their own statements, and 37 confirming understanding. Role-playing these types of 38 interactions helps students build confidence and prepares 39 them for real-life situations – whether in meetings, travel, 40 or casual conversations. By focusing on communication 41 strategies rather than perfection, you help students 42 become more effective, empathetic speakers. 43 One of the best ways to reinforce the global 44 nature of English is by incorporating authentic materials 45 into your lessons – materials created by English speakers 46 from various countries and cultural backgrounds. This 47 includes podcasts, YouTube videos, blog posts, news Página 7 48 articles, or even social media content produced by non- 49 native speakers or international communities. Using real- 50 world examples allows students to encounter English in a 51 variety of accents, formats, and contexts, far beyond the 52 confines of standardized textbooks. It also helps them 53 develop listening and reading skills that are more 54 adaptable to the real-life situations they’ll encounter when 55 using English with people from different backgrounds. It is 56 a shared language used by billions, and it’s shaped by the 57 voices of its global community. 58 Although it’s a global language, English is also 59 uniquely personal. Whether it’s the cafe playing the latest 60 hit song from a music artist, the name of the milkshake at 61 their local fast food restaurant, or a new Instagram update 62 from a celebrity, remind students to recognize the role 63 English already plays in their lives. Invite them to interact 64 with it by straining to understand the song lyrics or set 65 their phones to English. Since it’s all around us, it can be 66 easy to learn to ignore global English. Invite students to 67 recognize it, embrace it, and engage with it in their own 68 daily lives. Teaching English as a global language, you can 69 help your students use this language to its full potential – 70 to facilitate multicultural communication and collaboration 71 and to express the full, authentic experience of humans 72 around the globe. Adapted from: https://bridge.edu/tefl/March 21, 2025