Page 9 - Kukanja Gabrijelčič, Mojca, and Maruška Seničar Željeznov, eds. 2018. Teaching Gifted and Talented Children in A New Educational Era. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 9
Promoting Giftedness through
‘English as a Lingua Franca’
Informed Language Teaching
Eva Knechtelsdorfer
University College of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems, Austria
eva.knechtelsdorfer@kphvie.ac.at
Promotion of giftedness is the development of an individual’s potential taking
into account their environment and personal character traits. However, while
extracurricular enrichment activities, pull-out courses and other didactic inter-
ventions focus on the individual’s potential, personalization in regular class-
rooms is still an area in need of improvement in school systems worldwide.
The aim of this research paper is to examine possible didactic adaptions in the
English foreign language classroom in Austria. The concept of English as a Lin-
gua Franca, in other words the international use of English in different lingua-
cultural settings, sets the basis for English classes that focus on students’ lin-
guistic capabilities and further developing these. As nowadays students are
likely going to engage more in conversations with non-native speakers, it is
necessary to teach strategies to cope better with ELF situations influenced
by diverse lingua-cultural backgrounds of the interlocutors. By analysing the
learners’ linguistic and cultural background as well as the purpose for which
they study the language, it is possible to meet the challenges of classrooms
diverse in cultures and potential. The main goal of English language teach-
ing should, therefore, not be the illusive native-speaker-like knowledge of En-
glish but the development of students’ own language capabilities. This means
that students should be capable of using English as a resource with all its con-
formist and non-conformist realizations depending on their personal poten-
tial and the lingua-cultural settings they communicate in. This way students’
individual potentials are the focal point of language instruction and their de-
velopment can be promoted accordingly.
Keywords: potential development, English language teaching, English as a lin-
gua franca
Introduction
In times of globalization, English is the international medium of communica-
tion in the public, political and economic domain and, when we think of the
Erasmus generation, even in the private domain. International conferences
are held in English, world trade relies to a certain extent on the use of En-
glish of all trade partners and institutions such as the United Nations and
7
‘English as a Lingua Franca’
Informed Language Teaching
Eva Knechtelsdorfer
University College of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems, Austria
eva.knechtelsdorfer@kphvie.ac.at
Promotion of giftedness is the development of an individual’s potential taking
into account their environment and personal character traits. However, while
extracurricular enrichment activities, pull-out courses and other didactic inter-
ventions focus on the individual’s potential, personalization in regular class-
rooms is still an area in need of improvement in school systems worldwide.
The aim of this research paper is to examine possible didactic adaptions in the
English foreign language classroom in Austria. The concept of English as a Lin-
gua Franca, in other words the international use of English in different lingua-
cultural settings, sets the basis for English classes that focus on students’ lin-
guistic capabilities and further developing these. As nowadays students are
likely going to engage more in conversations with non-native speakers, it is
necessary to teach strategies to cope better with ELF situations influenced
by diverse lingua-cultural backgrounds of the interlocutors. By analysing the
learners’ linguistic and cultural background as well as the purpose for which
they study the language, it is possible to meet the challenges of classrooms
diverse in cultures and potential. The main goal of English language teach-
ing should, therefore, not be the illusive native-speaker-like knowledge of En-
glish but the development of students’ own language capabilities. This means
that students should be capable of using English as a resource with all its con-
formist and non-conformist realizations depending on their personal poten-
tial and the lingua-cultural settings they communicate in. This way students’
individual potentials are the focal point of language instruction and their de-
velopment can be promoted accordingly.
Keywords: potential development, English language teaching, English as a lin-
gua franca
Introduction
In times of globalization, English is the international medium of communica-
tion in the public, political and economic domain and, when we think of the
Erasmus generation, even in the private domain. International conferences
are held in English, world trade relies to a certain extent on the use of En-
glish of all trade partners and institutions such as the United Nations and
7
