Some Answers to World Englishes?

In my previous post, I have posed many questions without answers. In the last few days, I have been reading on the topic and concluded that it is important:

1) to expose students to world varieties of English (both native and non-native varieties)

2) to make them aware of the functional use of English as an international language.

3) expose them to cultural differences

4) to produce more empirical work on the use of English as a Lingua Franca because the lack of it, according to Barbara Seidlhofer, “precludes us from conceiving of speakers of Lingua Franca English as language users in their own right and thus makes it difficult to counteract the reproduction of English Native dominance”

Taking into consideration this new variety of English (ELF) would be a great advantage to us non-native ESL teachers: “instead of being “non-native” speakers and perennial learners of ENL, we can become competent and authoritative users of ELF” as Seidlhofer concludes.

References:

• NNEST Caucus Forum, http://www.moussu.net/nnest/blog/ (interview to Aya Matsuda)
• Seidlhofer, Barbara “Closing a Conceptual Gap: the case for a Description of English as a Lingua Franca” http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/showPdf?submitPDF=Full+Text+PDF+%28167+KB%29&doi=10.1111%2F1473-4192.00011