English Learning: Approaches to Global English in Singapore

This report delves into the multifaceted concept of Global English, examining its various approaches and pedagogical implementations within the context of Singapore schools. The report begins by defining and comparing three prevalent approaches: World Englishes (WE), English as a lingua franca (ELF), and English as an international language (EIL), highlighting their distinctive features and interrelationships. It incorporates primary data to analyze Singapore English within the WE framework. Furthermore, the report critiques key issues related to teaching Global English, including the native speaker concept and language variation, and assesses their significance in promoting English learning. It emphasizes the cultural significance of English and the impact of globalization on English learning. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of English as a global language, its impact on education, and its relevance in the modern world, offering insights into the dynamics of English language teaching and learning in a globalized environment.

Running Head: ENGLISH LEARNING
ENGLISH LEARNING
Student Name
Student ID

English 2
Table of Contents
Answer A.........................................................................................................................................3
Answer B.........................................................................................................................................3
Global English Teaching.............................................................................................................3
English as a Second Language....................................................................................................3
Language Variation.....................................................................................................................4
Norms in English Learning..........................................................................................................4
Cultural significance of English..................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................7

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Answer A
World English
English became a global language with England setting its foot in almost every part of
the globe. It helped the English to infuse their culture and impart the knowledge of their
language wherever they visited. The popularity and universality of English grew over time with
the rise of the process what we call globalization which helps to mobilize product, culture and
scientific knowledge from one part to another part of the globe without the barrier of boundaries.
Though English as a language manages to hold the prominent place in the government and
financial sector in a different part of the world, its structure and traits have been changed as per
the requirement and tendency to pronounce the words. The people 0of the different country
incorporates different things as per their cultural requirements. In Singapore English is used as a
world English as the English has been natives and changed as per the requirement of the culture.
Characteristics of World Englishes
World English refers to a Diaspora which is more focused on the development of English
in the local context. It is more connected with the term localized forms of English. People have
adopted different positions to explain the characteristics of world Englishes. The most important
traits of the world English are the examination of native speakers. The traits of world English can
see with the comparison between native and non-native English speakers. The native speakers
speak under the cultural constraints and the non-native speakers speak without the influence of
local culture and local language. The focus of world Englishes is more on the sociolinguistic
phenomenon. The region where world English is considered a world language is Nigeria,
Pakistan, India, and Singapore.

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Comparison and contrast
Comparison of world English with English as a lingua Franca and English as an
International Language is to be made to analyze. The natives English or World English found in
Singapore is used as a language to manage the communication within a culture whereas English
as a lingua Franca is used to communicate with the non-native speakers in Singapore to continue
business and cultural transactions with outsiders. In the case of the International language,
English is used by educated people in writing and speaking. The international English is more
focused on scholarly writing and research.
English as a Lingua Franca
Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew made a significant contribution to the
making of Singapore English as a lingua franca after separation from Malaysia in 1965. He could
foresee the post-independence crisis and international communication barrier and therefore used
a linguistic strategy to manage the barriers in a great way. The purpose of making English as
lingua Franca was to manage and thrive international business as it was the need of an hour
(Chew, 2014). The role of English as a lingua franca is significant as it helped in making Modern
Singapore. The institution of higher learning employed it in business studies and the medium of
communication in an educational institution. English became the language for all those who
visited the country and whose mother tongue is not English. Singapore managed to use English
as it allows the comprehension of English by all.
Characteristics of Lingua Franca in the context of Singapore
The characteristic of English as a lingua franca in the context of Singapore reveals that it
is a way of developing a new form of English. It is related to identity, standardization, and role

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of the classroom in the development of language (Foley, 2006). The role and function of English
changed after the independence of the country. English was made a means to see the window to
the world. It became a means to gain entry to the international knowledge of technology and
science, development of the economy.
Comparison of Lingua Franca with English as an International lingua and world English
In comparison to English as a lingua Franca, International English is more concerned
with the educational institution. The role of Lingua Franca in the development of Singapore is
significant as it helped in the progress and development of the nation (Foley, 2006). The
importance of English as an International language is significant as it helped the progress of the
educational institution. The country did not betray the language and developed a sort of English
which is used internally and understood by the native speakers.
English as an International Language
English as an international language is more related to the language of the European
nation or the standard news agency and the language of the royal community. International
became part of the process of globalization (Dewi, 2012). The process of globalization was not
possible without the use of English as an international language. English as an international
language permitted the free flow of ideas and knowledge regarding science and technology.
International English is not specified by any specific variety of English. It is used English as a
whole.
Characteristics of English as an International language
It is more related to intercultural communication among people of different cultures and
communities across the globe (McKay, 2018). It is free from any bondage of variety and

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category. It is based on the international standards used and understood by all. With the use of
English as an international language, English as an international language has been regarded as
an official language and a major organization of the world (Dewi, 2012). International English is
being treated and viewed as a tool for communication internationally and globally. International
English has previously been regarded as an imperialistic language as it became the language of
imperialists in the colonial context. In the post-colonial context, English as an international
language grew to a language used for globalization.
Comparison with World English and English as a lingua Franca
International language came as a language with a multifaceted experience. In comparison
to world English or second language in Singapore and Lingua France, International English has
significant importance. International English as a part of the educational and scholarly
community made a significant contribution to the development of Singapore as a well developed
Asian nation.
Answer B
Global English Teaching
Over the past century, learning English has taken a massive turn. Today it means much
more than what it used to mean around 80 years ago. In many parts of the world, English was a
second language that was used by a minor population in the society. Since this part of the
population mostly represented the higher section of the society, English learning often denoted
an Intellectual activity in the eyes of the masses.
One of the biggest factors that have brought about this change in the late 20th and the
early 21st century is Globalization (Yang & Quadir, 2018). In the globalized world, the globe

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does not have the image of a vast ocean that leads people to the outside world. Interactions
between people take place from one corner of the world to another.
English as a Second Language
In many of the places around the world, English has become the second language. People
learn their mother tongue and English. Learning of the mother tongue is significant because it
makes people aware of the roots of the place that they are born into. When English enters into
the life of the individual as a second language, then it opens the door to the outside world. As has
been discussed before, the significance of the outside world in today's context will be much
higher than it was ever before. In the earlier days, the outside world signified a world of
opportunities and dreams (McKay, 2018). However, the opportunity was limited to the rich, well
to do and the most brilliant students.
Today, the outside world is much more familiar terrain. If somebody has to miss out on
the opportunity to interact and extract the best out of what the world has to offer, then it is indeed
an unfortunate situation. Hence, the infusion of English as a second language into the minds of
people happens from an early age in many of the cases. It sets up the base for the learning of the
language and makes the person much better prepared for things to come in the future.
Language Variation
The English language has similarities with the European languages and at the same time,
it is much different in form and structure with the other languages around the globe. Hence, this
can come up as one of the major issues for the teachers. Even if they are teaching the exact same
thing as they are doing to other students, the comprehension levels of the student whose mother
tongue is wildly different from English can be very low (Sfenrianto, Hartarto, Akbar, Mukhtar,

English 8
Efriadi & Wahyudi, 2018). Hence, it is important to teach English from a very early age to these
people. Schools need to be set up to make the young students learn the language. Reading,
comprehension, and vocation are the essential things that need to be taught from a very early age.
In many places, English is not just a second language. It is taught to the students as a first
language and the mother tongue would become the second language. The emphasis here is to
embed the essentials of English in the minds of the students. For Singapore, it will not become a
big problem or a big issue for the students because people in Singapore have worldly
connections and their reach is not locally based.
Norms in English Learning
In English learning, one of the most important aspects that the teachers and the scholars
focus on is the learning of literature. The English novelists, poets, and playwrights are a much
more familiar list of names in the world compared to the same of any other language. This is
mostly because it has been emphasized over and over again that without learning of literature,
English learning becomes a futile exercise. The elements of English literature are being infused
into the minds of the learners after they read a certain stage.
Another norm that is prominent in English learning is group activities. Two people who
are at the same stage in English learning are often asked by the instructor to prepare some reports
or some activity based on the learning they had received in the classes (Yusri, Mantasiah & Jufri,
2018). These group activities enable the students to contribute to each other's knowledge and
thereby, it can become beneficial to both. The evaluation is carried out by the instructor who
guides English students to utilize group activities for their own benefit.

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One of the most useful norms in English teaching is that of vocation. There are many
schools which make students speak to one another in English and thereby, it imprints vocation
into their daily activities from the beginning. If the student has proper vocation skills, then it
becomes much easier for the student to reap the benefits of English learning. For people in
Singapore, the learning of English is enabled with proper vocation. However, it lacks the group
activities which is most prevalent among adults who are learning English for the first time.
Cultural significance of English
English has become much more culturally significant in today’s world as compared to
what it was around 50 years ago or more. It has penetrated the lives of average people in large
numbers. England based plays and famous novels are paid tribute and used as a source of
inspiration around the world (He & Lidz, 2017). New films, television and other elements of pop
culture have become largely influenced by the trends and norms of the culture in the English-
speaking world of the UK and the USA. It is more the USA than the UK that has gone on to
influence the culture all around the world.
It is the effect of globalization where the American way of life has become overbearing
to people al over the world. The cultural values and vices of America have been passed on across
the entire globe. It becomes difficult for everybody to make themselves familiar with the society
of the western world without having first-hand knowledge of the American culture. The
unfamiliarity might go onto play a big role in the mental development of the person. If someone
is attempting to learn English, the lack of familiarity will become an even more significant
attribute of the person.

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Question C
Introduction
The paper aims to focus on the various aspects of teaching English as a language in
Singapore. There are various methods of teaching English utilized by different nations where
English is not the first or primary language such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Bangladesh, and
more. However, English is an International language and developing skills in it helps in
interactions and communications. Second-language speakers can be encouraged to become bi-
dialectal in using English while mastering the international as well as a local variety of the
language. Therefore, with the use of methods such as communicative language teaching (CLT),
audiolingualism, and teaching English through English the appropriateness of teaching the
language in Singapore has to be identified. The purpose will be served through the identification
of materials such as peer-reviewed academic articles to evaluate the aspect and with the
consideration of specific English textbook that is used widely in the country.
Discussion
Audiolingualism
The audio-lingual method is also known as the New Key or Army Method, which is used
by teachers to teach foreign languages. The method of audiolingualism is based on the
behaviorist theory and that hypothesizes the fact that specific human traits could be trained in a
man if they are made to go through a reinforcement system (Bowen, 2007, 1). This method does
not specifically focus on vocabulary teaching but on developing grammatical use of the students.
The method that teaches a foreign language emphasizes on developing a perception of the

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phonological structure and grammatical understanding foe listening as well as speaking.
Teachers have to drill the students to learn such structures while focusing on error correction too.
English in Singapore is one of the four commonly used languages, where the other three
languages represent the ethnic groups. It has become lingua franca or the bridge or trade
language of the country due to the British Rule. It is a medium of instruction in the Singaporean
schools and has been adopted as the common working language through the education systems.
As the audio-lingual method emerged there was increased attention that the countries provided
on the teaching of a foreign language as steps such as the Speak Good English campaign were
taken by the Singaporean government. It was motivated by the functional, interactional and
structural models of language that provides theoretical frameworks and axioms (Selvi &
Thilagavathi, 2018, 269). Language according, to the audio-lingual approach is a form of human
behavior as any other behavioral aspect. While it emerged during the 1960s there were
irregularities within it as well (Selvi & Thilagavathi, 2018, 270). There is difficulty in
transforming the patterns of learning in real communicative instances.
There are a number of English textbooks that are used in Singapore to teach the language
to the bilingual people of the country. There is a considerable amount of priority attached to the
language English, which sometimes leads to the criticism that the Singaporean form of English
or Singlish is being suppressed. The Grade 6 English textbook called “My Pals Are Here English
For Sixth Grade” is an example of such a book. The book is vital in terms of teaching English as
following the audio-linguistic approach the book focuses on the language development by
situational encounters of regular life. The book will help develop grammar rules in a student
from Singapore and that will result in the child learning to write and speak the language, which
focuses on the behaviorist aspect of the method. However, the issue that this process does not

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really help in developing communicative aspects through the process of learning is vital for
consideration of its appropriateness in a country like Singapore, where the language English has
been prioritized along with the other Singaporean official languages. It is used in the fields of
business, law, and administration, therefore, improving English communicative skills is as
important as learning grammar rules. The improved understanding of the phonological and
grammatical structure, nonetheless, helps the beginners to learn the language and stimulates
critical writing capabilities in them.
Teaching English through English
English as an International language has a dominant status in various countries and
therefore, the demand for skillful, effective and knowledgeable teachers to teach the language is
growing. The demand for the language is burgeoning worldwide and that has resulted in a
demand for proper teachers and the demand is met for a short time by employing people lacking
appropriate qualifications significantly in that role. Qualifications can be defined as having
subject-matter knowledge as well as language proficiency. However, most of the teachers
teaching the language are not qualified enough to teach it to children (Richards, 2017, 2).
Nevertheless, teaching English through English or the teaching of a foreign language through the
use of a foreign language in which the teacher might not be fluent has to be explored to
understand the relationship between teaching ability and language proficiency.
It has been observed by the critic Freeman that to have the capability of teaching English
through English needs to consider various issues related as language teaching requires the
language as both the means of learning as well as the content taught. There are certain aspects of
a language and abilities related to it that can help in the determination of the teacher’s capability
to teach it. This includes capabilities such as using the language as the target of instructing and

English 13
medium, modification of the input of target language so that it is rendered comprehensible to the
learners, production of well-formed input, and drawing attention of the learners to various
aspects of forma language (Richards, 2017, 9). However, there is a challenge in the development
of tests to find methods to measure the functional competence that is required for teaching
English through English. Identification of test items for a test that can measure the language
skills of a person that are not notions of general language proficiency alone is difficult.
Nonetheless, a benchmark for the educational qualifications of the teacher and the certification of
the language teachers can help the process.
In the country Singapore, English is a mode of teaching in the schools so that the students
develop necessary language skills through communication. It is to be considered that if there is
no teacher then there is no input of language resulting in no output as well. They trigger the
aspect of classroom interaction and the use of the language by the students, which is significant
in Singapore as a global language rises in the fields of technology, science, and commerce in
Singapore. The book “My Pals Are Here English For Sixth Grade” enhances the concept through
the various chapters focusing on developing the vocabulary of the students, mediating activities
of interacting with friends and invokes creative and critical thinking too. The teachers are
responsible for it and they can create a fun yet learning environment by teaching English through
English. There are benefits of TETE such as improvement of speaking skills, teaching
confidence, general English proficiency, and improvement of the professional career of the
teacher (Kim, 2008, 60). Therefore, this process is very relevant to the country of Singapore. The
book that has been mentioned helps to improve language for expression and literary response as
well that these teachers can help teach the students.

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Communicative language teaching (CLT)
The method of Communicative Language Teaching or CLT highlights the role played by
form-based activities as well as the significance of the beliefs of the teachers concerning the
ways of teaching the English language. Communicative Language Teaching is used by the
language teachers in classrooms where English is the second language. It was initiated in the
early 1970s and considers communicative competence over linguistic or grammatical
competence (Yousaf, Umar & Habib, 2017, 116). The primary aim of the process is to prepare
the language learners that are non-native so that they can engage in negotiating sense. The
instructors, therefore, do not necessarily deal with the errors the learners make. However, the
role of the teacher in this method is never ignored. There are certain principles as well as
characteristics of the CLT application. It emphasizes communicative learning through interacting
in the target language and improves the learning experience of the learner as significant to the
process of earning. It also helps in the development of the language learning classroom activities
and links it with the outside language performance level (Yousaf, Umar & Habib, 2017, 117).
The communicative approach does not focus on structural and grammatical features only
but the structure of the English language reflects the communicative and functional uses of it
through CLT. When these ideas are applied to the activities of the classroom they develop
relationships with real communications, the activities help in using the language for tasks that are
meaningful, and the learner finds it meaningful too so that they can use it to communicate rather
than to practice language skills alone (Parpiyeva, 2017, 125). The method evolved in three
phases, such as with the workings of Hymes, Canale and Swain, and Bachman. The adoption of
CLT in English as an International Language class gives the students an opportunity to
communicate as well as base the stated language to the specific context. However, the approach

English 15
fails in coping with the cultural background of the Singaporean people or the status of the socio-
economic aspects of the learners. The approach encourages creativity, as well as critical thinking
similar to the chapters in the book “My Pals Are Here English For Sixth Grade.” It requires the
learners to have real-life conversations as is initiated through the activities of the book (Rahman,
2018, 172). However, it can be difficult to fit the approach with the cultural context of
Singapore as the country has a diverse range of people from various ethnicities.
This approach is also very significant and will be deemed fruitful in the context of the
Singaporean community as the people as well as the government are already well engaged with
the language at an educational, social and professional level. It enhances the performance of
language outside the teaching area, which will help the students to grow their careers in various
fields where English is already the official language used for communication. Furthermore, the
use of authentic texts similar to the one stated above can fulfill the communicative purpose of
CLT while the learning rules or memorizing structures become the result of discussion and
communication (Yousaf, Umar & Habib, 2017, 118).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be stated that the different forms of teaching are applicable in the
context of Singapore at various levels and they can all be utilized to develop the teaching of ELF.
However, the method of audiolingualism is less significant in the current social and cultural
context of Singapore in comparison to communicative language teaching and teaching English
through English as the latter ones improve communicative skills while developing grammatical
and structural knowledge of the language.

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