Languages and Literacies:
Their Role in Global
Futures
Damien Trezise
Chia Nan University
The Tower of Babel
What SIX languages have the most
speakers?
 Arabic
 Bengali (India)
 Chinese (Mandarin)
 Chinese (Cantonese)
 English
 French
 German
 Hindi (India)
 Indonesian
 Japanese
 Spanish
The SIX most spoken languages
1. Chinese (Mandarin) – 837,000,000
2. English – 370,000,000
3. Spanish – 300,000,000
4. Bengali (India) – 189,000,000
5. Hindi (India) – 182,000,000
6. Arabic – 175,000,000
Which language can be
used by the most people?
Which language can be used by the
most people?
English:
370,000,000 (Native)
+ 375,000,000 (ESL, e.g. USA)
+ 750,000,000 (EFL, e.g. Taiwan)
1,495,000,000
Why are so many people
learning English?
Information
 80% Internet pages
 95% of scientific papers
 News
Travel and Communication
 Spoken by one in four people in the world
 Language of travel and tourism industries
 Official language in 75 countries

Signs, documents, education
 Social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Career
 Business

International trade


Email communication
Exhibitions
 Multinational companies

Used as company language
 Government departments

International relations, trade, exchange
Career
 Information technology

Used for software development, programming
 Service industries

Basic requirement for employees in Tourism,
Hospitality, MICE, etc.
 Academia

Sharing of research – conferences, papers.
How difficult is English?
Vocabulary

How many words do average native
speakers of English know?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1,200 - 2000
2,000 – 5,000
5,000 – 10,000
10,000 – 12,000
12,000 – 20,000
Vocabulary

How many words do average native
speakers of English know?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1,200 - 2000
2,000 – 5,000
5,000 – 10,000
10,000 – 12,000
12,000 – 20,000
Vocabulary

How many words do native speakers of
English use in normal conversation?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1,200 - 2000
2,000 – 5,000
5,000 – 10,000
10,000 – 12,000
12,000 – 20,000
Vocabulary

How many words do native speakers of
English use in normal conversation?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1,200 - 2000
2,000 – 5,000
5,000 – 10,000
10,000 – 12,000
12,000 – 20,000
Vocabulary (國一、二)

If you know 1,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal English writing can
you can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
20 %
50 %
70%
90%
Vocabulary (國一、二)

If you know 1,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal English writing can
you can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
20 %
50 %
70%
90%
Vocabulary (國三)

If you know 2,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal English writing can
you can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
40 %
60 %
80%
95%
Vocabulary (國三)

If you know 2,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal English writing can
you can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
40 %
60 %
80%
95%
Vocabulary (國一、二)

If you know 1,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal speaking can you
can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
20 %
50 %
70%
90%
Vocabulary (國一、二)

If you know 1,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal speaking can you
can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
20 %
50 %
70%
90%
Vocabulary (國三)

If you know 2,000 words, what percentage of
vocabulary in normal English speaking can you
can understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
40 %
60 %
80%
95%
Vocabulary (國三)

If you know 2,000 words, what percentage
of vocabulary in normal English speaking
can you understand?
a.
b.
c.
d.
40 %
60 %
80%
95%
How about more than 5,000 words?
(高三、GEPT 中級)
How long does it take
to learn English?
Index
1.
GEPT 初級、CEF A2、TOEIC 350
1.
2.
3.
2.
Vocabulary – 2000 words
Grammar – all basic tenses
Usage – communication about immediate
environment
GEPT 中級、CEF B1、TOEIC 550
1.
2.
Vocabulary – 4,800 words
Can use basic English to communicate about topics
in daily life. English ability is roughly equivalent to
that of a high school graduate in Taiwan.
Index
1.
GEPT 中高級、CEF B2、TOEIC 750
1.
2.
Vocabulary – 8000 words
Has a generally effective command of
English. Is able to handle a broader range of
topics, and although he/she makes mistakes,
these do not significantly hinder his/her
ability to communicate.
1. Beginner to GEPT 初級
80 learning hours
b. 200 learning hours
c. 300 learning hours
d. 450 learning hours
e. 600 learning hours
f. 800 learning hours
a.
1. Beginner to GEPT 初級
80 learning hours
b. 200 learning hours
c. 300 learning hours
d. 450 learning hours
e. 600 learning hours
f. 800 learning hours
a.
2. GEPT 初級 – 中級
80 learning hours
b. 200 learning hours
c. 300 learning hours
d. 450 learning hours
e. 600 learning hours
f. 800 learning hours
a.
2. GEPT 初級 – 中級
80 learning hours
b. 200 learning hours
c. 300 learning hours
d. 450 learning hours
e. 600 learning hours
f. 800 learning hours
a.
3. GEPT 中級 – 中高級
80 learning hours
b. 200 learning hours
c. 300 learning hours
d. 450 learning hours
e. 600 learning hours
f. 800 learning hours
a.
3. GEPT 中級 – 中高級
80 learning hours
b. 200 learning hours
c. 300 learning hours
d. 450 learning hours
e. 600 learning hours
f. 800 learning hours
a.
Issues for Discussion
What is the real status of English education
in Taiwan?
2. What language and literacy abilities are
important in order to participate effectively
in the globalized world of the future?
3. What strategies for curriculum and
pedagogy can help to cultivate these
abilities?
1.
What is the real status of English
education in Taiwan?
 Are Taiwanese really worse at learning
English than other EFL countries?
 Is lack of English ability limiting our ability to
participate in the globalized markets and
communities of the 21st century?
Taipei Times: Sat Nov 13, 2010
 Among Asian countries, Taiwan ranked sixth
in TOEIC scores last year, trailing India, the
Philippines, China, Turkey and South Korea,
but nevertheless ahead of Japan (7th),
Thailand (8th) and Hong Kong (9th).
What is the real status of English
education in Taiwan?
MYTH: Taiwanese do worse in tests like
TOEFL and TOEIC than students in
countries like Thailand and China.
FACT: A higher percentage of students take
these tests in Taiwan than other Asian
countries. We are not comparing equal
samples
What is the real status of English
education in Taiwan?


The time allocated for English instruction in
Junior and Senior High Schools SHOULD
be sufficient for students to reach a
reasonable standard of proficiency.
BUT, there is a bi-nodal distribution of
results in English tests – students are either
very good or very bad.
What is the real status of English
education in Taiwan?

Proficiency tests are the main means of
determining English ability in Taiwan.




often test only listening and reading
test an extremely limited range of language
use
are profit driven
increasingly drive the curriculum
What is the real status of English
education in Taiwan?

SUMMARY




Taiwanese are not worse than people from
other countries at English
The education system is producing a very
unbalanced distribution of English abilities
The information we have about Taiwanese
people’s English ability is not necessarily
valid or reliable
Does language knowledge = language ability?
What language and literacy
abilities are important in order to
participate effectively in the
globalized world of the future?
Characteristics of the
21st Century World
 Unprecedented levels of interconnectedness
 More deeply divided than ever


inequities in the distribution of social and economic
capital,
tensions between local and global interests.
Communicative requirements
 The ability to communicate across cultural,
ideological, economic and linguistic difference
using modern communicative tools.



Linguistic competencies
Technical competencies
“Cosmopolitan” attitudes of mind – membership
of both local and global communities
 These combined competencies and attitudes
have been called “21st Century Literacies”
Hull & Stornaiuolo, 2010; Hull, Stornaiuolo & Sahni, 2010)
(e.g.
Defining “Literacy”
1.
2.
Cognitive view
a. Literacy is a set of skills for reading, writing
and thinking.
b. Once learned, these skills can be applied in
any context
Social view
a. Literacy is social practice
b. There are different literacies for different
domains of life
c. The cognitive view is biased
Literacy: Competing Views
Cognitive view
Social view
Skills
Knowledge shared
by communities
“Inside the head”
“Outside the head”
21st Century Literacies in Use
 Kelly (Taiwan) and Hiroshi (Japan) exchange emails
about a product Kelly’s company is making for one of
Hiroshi’s customers
 Sharon (Taiwan) plays Happy Farm with Spiro
(Turkey) on Facebook, in English.
 Yang (Taiwan) sends a short documentary film he
has made to an international film competition in
Belgium.
 Stephen (Japan) asks participants in a music forum
to send donations to victims of the earthquake and
tsunami in Japan.
Sample
1. No problem to provide dimension drawing for approval first (includes
XXX case inside).
H>>> Ok! Great!
2. For Color Insert sample, is it ok if we just use color=XXXX>PC
computer to print out for approval first? Of course, we will use good
quality of paper. Because it requires USDXXX to just proceed
ONE pc officially.
Do you want shiny surface?
H>>> No. >The customer has requested us to change the insert design.
Instead please kindly send a PRECISE DIE-LINE plan for XXXX (in
ADOBE ILLUTRATOR format, "AI"). ie-line design must include the
matching CUT-OUTS MATCHING THE SPONGE LINER for frame
=frame is facing UP like the picture we made). Then, our designers
arrange the new design on your die-line and your printer can make the
insert.
3. All of the samples above (color insert + PVC box) can be done in
ONE week after receiving your payment. Dec.7th can be shipped out if
we receive model charge this week.
Do we need to send with XXX set again? Or just to deliver Color Insert
+PVC box? I hope not to ship out with XXXX set as we don't have
existing sample on hand.
Lina,
I am just about to do another order we need the
parts in the uk by 3rd or 4th july would it be
possible to do. Also send a invoice for the 700
pieces.
regards
Jane
21st Century Literacies include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Facility with language conventions – native and
foreign languages
Competence in the technological tools through which
literacy is practiced
Facility in employing diverse symbol systems in
communication
The ability to recognize and empathize with ways of
using literacy which are different from one’s own
The ability to use literacy to respectfully
communicate across cultural, ideological, economic
and linguistic differences
What strategies for curriculum and
instruction can help cultivate the
language and literacy abilities
needed for the 21st Century?
Social Media in language and literacy
instruction
 Presently an “out-of-school” phenomenon
 Many schools skeptical of educational potential
 Wary of risks
 Research findings
(Beach & Doerr-Stevens, 2009; boyd & Ellison, 2008; Greenhow &
Robelia, 2009b; Knobel & Lankshear, 2008)



SM used mainly as an extension of existing social
relationships
Reinforces existing divisions of race, class and location
Supports existing social stratifications, including
prejudices and stereotypes
 Such research suggests that the potential of
social media to scaffold and mediate the
development new cross-cultural relationships
is not currently being realized in out-of-school
practices.
The Kidnet Project
(Hull & Stornaiuolo, 2010; Hull, Stornaiuolo & Sahni, 2010)
Project Description
 Teenage students in America, South Africa,
Norway and India
 Exchanged digital stories, animations, videos
and artwork
 Engaged in critical dialogues about common
concerns in their everyday lives and
respective societies.
 Instruction in the use of digital communication
technologies
 Instructional activities to assist them negotiate
dimensions of personal identity, and develop
cultural knowledge
 Instruction in how to “responsibly and
hospitably” communicate with other youth
(Appiah, 2006).
Findings
 Youth in the project faced great difficulties in
sustaining connections with unfamiliar others,
particularly with those whose life worlds were very
different to their own.
 An educational framework was necessary to support
the development of new understandings of
themselves and others
 When the students encountered issues that were
important to them, a strong desire to communicate
could override communicative difficulties, and lead to
significant leaps in intercultural understanding
Multiliteracies (New London Group, 2006;
Cope & Kalantzis, 2000; Lankshear & Knobel, 2003 )
 An alternative paradigm which better reflects the way
language and literacies are used in real life
 Three dimensions



Operational: tools, procedures and techniques for
handling language
Cultural: competence in understanding the roles of
texts in social practices
Critical: awareness that texts are socially constructed
and selective – they include some values, rules and
purposes, and exclude others.
Multiliteracies Pedagogy
1.
Situated Practice
1.
Get students to actively use language and literacy for real
purposes
1.
2.
2.
Overt Instruction
1.
3.
Teach students the language forms and technical skills they
need
Critical Framing
1.
Lead students to see social, cultural or political aspects of
texts they are working with.
1.
2.
4.
Plan a vacation
Negotiate a transaction
A customer enquiry – genuine? competitor? fraudster?
Reading – Earth Day: what is behind this article?
Transformed Practice
1.
Creating new literacies
Discussion
 In Taiwan EFL instruction, there is little
consideration at present of cultural and
critical dimensions.
 Hull’s work shows the importance of these
dimensions to global communication
 21st Century Literacies = language
proficiency + “habits of mind” that are the
foundation of global citizenship
Global Citizenship
 Includes recognition of obligations to others
which go beyond conventional obligations to
family and country
 Involves the cultivation of identities that
reconcile citizenship of both global and local
communities






Family Responsibilities
Legal Responsibilities
Civic Responsibilities
Environmental Responsibilities
Ethical Responsibilities
Economic Responsibilities
Research Directions
 Language education

What factor is the biggest predictor of success
in foreign language learning?





IQ?
Age?
Socio-economic status?
Language-learning talent?
Other?
Research Directions
 The only factor consistently associated with
success in foreign language learning is native
language ability.

Is our Chinese language education preparing
students to participate in 21st century
literacies?



Technical and linguistic skills
Cultural awareness
Critical awareness
Research Directions
 English language and literacy – from
Taiwanese perspectives
 What do Taiwanese people in different fields
of life actually use English to do?
Discussion
 What do YOU use English for in YOUR life?
 What kinds of “literacies” can you identify?
 Examples
 Read textbooks / journal articles
 Play games
 Read instructions
 Fill in forms
 Read information on websites
 Listen to songs
 ?
 What do you imagine you will use English for
in your future professional and social life?
 How well prepared do you feel to do this?
 How can the education system support you?
Research Topics
 Professional literacies: Qualitative studies of
language and literacy practices in professional
settings:




Companies
Hospitals
Hotels
Schools / Universities
 Interview people about their literacy practices
 Collect examples of documents they read and write
 Think about the relationship between school
instruction and real-life literacy use.
Research Topics
 Out-of-school literacies: Case studies of
how children use language and literacy
outside of school.



On-line literacy practices
Recreational reading
The role of literacy in everyday activities, e.g.
reading labels, instructions, signs, etc.
 What is the relationship between in-school
and out-of-school literacies?
Research Topics
 Communication with distant others



Set up an exchange activity with students in
another country.
Design a program to support students in their
efforts to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps.
Record and report on the successes and
failures of your program.
Conclusion
 Language knowledge and technical skills are
not sufficient to guarantee successful
communication across cultural, linguistic,
economic and social distance.
 They need to be combined with “habits of
mind” that facilitate participation in “global
citizenship”

How can we be members of “local” and “global”
communities at the same time.
Conclusion
 Students need to be supported in their
development of 21st century literacies





Language skills
Technology skills
Cultural knowledge and understanding
Critical perspectives
Opportunities to practice
Conclusion
 Language and literacy are critical in the
connected world of the 21st century.
 Schools and educators have a responsibility
to cultivate the skills and attitudes that will
allow students to participate in their global
futures.
Perhaps when we
rediscover a common
“language”, we won’t use it
to build a tower, but a bridge,
to connect all the people of
the world…..
Thanks for your attention!