Jorge's Blog

Acknowledging global English varieties can empower students and reflect their identities.   (📷:empowervmedia) E nglish has become a truly global language, but that also brings a big teaching question: which English should we teach?  English is spoken all around the world and has official or special status in over 80 countries . Naturally, there are many regional varieties (British English, American English, Australian English, Indian English, and more). As Cambridge linguist Eline Laperre puts it, “there is not just one Standard English: there are several” . In other words, even the idea of a single “Standard English” is misleading. The choice of which variety to focus on also shapes learners’ sense of identity: language ties closely to community and culture . Instructors today must decide whether to teach a traditional native-speaker norm (like “Standard British” or “General American”) or to acknowledge the full spectrum of World Englishes  (or how to combine both appro...

FACT-CHECKED ✅ * I n our global age, students live surrounded by media – from viral videos to news feeds. Without guidance, learners may passively absorb biased or misleading messages , but with the right skills they can become active, critical users of English. Research shows that when English learners practice interpreting media, they gain valuable language and life skills . For example, a review of studies in U.S. community colleges found that integrating media literacy into ESL instruction “improves learners’ critical evaluation of digital content, cross-cultural awareness, and engagement with real English language use” . In simple terms, this means students learn to question online information, understand different cultural viewpoints, and use English more confidently in real situations. With the right skills, students can become active, critical users of English. (📷:coep.nz) Mlekuž (2017) describes  critical media literacy (CML) as a way to reveal hidden assumptions in me...