Standard Language Ideologies, World Englishes, and English Language Teaching: An Overview

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of terms and issues related to Standard Language Ideologies, World Englishes, and English Education. First, I present a discussion of the concept of language ideologies and their connection to constantly problematized issues in ELT (e.g., the native/non-native dichotomy). Then, a detailed description of pro language variation approaches is provided, a term coined by the author. I also argue that these approaches represent an option to counteract the negative effects of standard language ideologies in language teaching. Their strengths and weaknesses are also discussed, with supporting evidence from scholarly research. This paper ends with pedagogical implications resulting from these paradigms with an emphasis on classroom practice applicability, and changes needed in teacher education programs.