Using listening journals to raise awareness of Global Englishes in ELT

Abstract

With the increasing use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), it is no longer appropriate to associate English purely with ‘native-speaking’ nations, but with a global community of users. This article reports on the use of listening journals in ELT to expose students to global Englishes (GE), a field that reflects the current global use of English. These journals served as a pedagogical task, and as a research instrument that involved the analysis of 108 journals consisting of 1,092 reflections on GE exposure. The results highlighted students’ current use of English, the impetus behind the selection of material for the listening journal, and their reflections on this exposure. The study not only shows a benefit in using listening journals to raise awareness of GE but also highlights limitations, including the reinforcement of stereotypes and a tendency to reflect on attitudes towards different varieties of English rather than how successful ELF communication is achieved.