ELF and academic writing: a perspective from the Expanding Circle
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Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir
Dr.
Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir is Professor of Foreign Language Education at the University of Iceland, School of Education. Her main research areas are teacher cognitions, and language teacher education. Presently she is working on a research project which aims at mapping out the use of English in Iceland at all school levels and in the work force.
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Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir
Dr.
Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir is Professor of Second Language Studies in the Faculty of Foreign Language, Literature and Linguistics at the University of Iceland. Her main research areas are second language acquisition, multilingualism, and heritage languages. Currently, she heads a research group examining the status of English in Iceland at all levels of education and the workforce.
Abstract
Scant attention has been paid to written academic ELF and international scholars' perceptions of coping with writing academic papers in English. Available studies seem to have an ENL stance with a few exceptions. This article describes the views of Icelandic academics on using English in their scientific pursuits. The findings are based on a survey administered to faculty members at the University of Iceland where English has historically had a high profile as a utility language. The survey was followed up with interviews with ten academics. The findings indicate that even though respondents claim that their general English is good, the majority confess to an added workload and needing assistance with their academic English. Despite pressure from the university to increase international publication where ENL writing standards seem to be the only accepted norm, no official writing support is offered. It is not clear whether writing in English increases competitiveness when the writing does not meet ENL norms. The results call for more discussion on the appropriateness of adhering to ENL standards by journals to which non-native users of English contribute. The results also highlight the need for more emphasis in ELF research on the nature of written ELF academic discourse.
About the authors
Dr. Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir is Professor of Foreign Language Education at the University of Iceland, School of Education. Her main research areas are teacher cognitions, and language teacher education. Presently she is working on a research project which aims at mapping out the use of English in Iceland at all school levels and in the work force.
Dr. Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir is Professor of Second Language Studies in the Faculty of Foreign Language, Literature and Linguistics at the University of Iceland. Her main research areas are second language acquisition, multilingualism, and heritage languages. Currently, she heads a research group examining the status of English in Iceland at all levels of education and the workforce.
© 2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Achieving “comity”: the role of linguistic stance in business English as a lingua franca (BELF) meetings
- Notes on English used as a lingua franca as an object of study
- From within and without: the virtual and the plurilingual in ELF
- Figurative language and ELF: idiomaticity in cross-cultural interaction in university settings
- Express-ability in ELF communication
- ELF and academic writing: a perspective from the Expanding Circle
- ELF in international school exchanges: stepping into the role of ELF users
- A linguistic anthropologist looks at English as a lingua franca
- ELF and EFL: what's the difference? Comments on Michael Swan
- ELF and the bigger picture
- Book Review
- Conferences
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Achieving “comity”: the role of linguistic stance in business English as a lingua franca (BELF) meetings
- Notes on English used as a lingua franca as an object of study
- From within and without: the virtual and the plurilingual in ELF
- Figurative language and ELF: idiomaticity in cross-cultural interaction in university settings
- Express-ability in ELF communication
- ELF and academic writing: a perspective from the Expanding Circle
- ELF in international school exchanges: stepping into the role of ELF users
- A linguistic anthropologist looks at English as a lingua franca
- ELF and EFL: what's the difference? Comments on Michael Swan
- ELF and the bigger picture
- Book Review
- Conferences
