Roy Pushpavilasam Veettil (Sohar University, Oman)
Abstract
Having lived in Oman for over a decade, I have observed the growing importance of English, which is now essential for higher education and employment in both private and government sectors. However, the official status assigned to English and the teaching of English as a foreign language lead to conflicts between practices and expectations. Thus, I feel that the real status of English in the country needs to be reassessed.
The conceptual framework of this study is Kachru’s concept of the analogy of three concentric circles representing the global diffusion and status of English. The study proposes to answer the question of whether English has moved from the expanding circle into the outer circle in Oman, and if so, what its implications are. The participants will be engaged in brainstorming and discussions, and I expect that they will be prompted to reassess the status of English in their specific contexts.
ESBB Featured Session: Research (In person, 25 minutes)
Language Policy / World Englishes / English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)
General Interest
About the Presenter
Dr. Roy P. Veettil is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Language Studies, Sohar University. He has authored a book in ELT and has edited two others. He has also presented papers in international ELT conferences and has published papers in journals indexed in SCOPUS and Web of Science. He is interested in literature, sociolinguistics, and English language teaching.
