EFL and ELF college students' perceptions toward Englishes

Abstract

Abstract English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is today a research area which has attracted a lot of attention. This paper builds on recent research in this field and explores Taiwanese English as a foreign language (EFL) and international students' (FLF) perceptions toward Englishes. The participants were (i) EFL sophomores who took college English courses (n = 1965) and (ii) ELF graduate students in an international MBA (IMBA) program (n = 97) in Taiwan. Comparing the survey results enables the researchers to investigate English learning perceptions between undergraduate students, who learn English as a foreign language, and IMBA students, who study in ELF classrooms and use English for academic learning to communicate with instructors and fellow students. In addition to survey, interview data were collected from 13 ELF students so that qualitative data were available for analysis. The result of this study suggests the need to reformulate English education in Taiwan so that English becomes an effective tool for learning and communication in academic ELF settings. This will involve raising awareness of English varieties, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and developing accommodation strategies to facilitate international communication.