Page 33 - ELG2505 May Issue 494

FEATURE

Specific destination preparation? abroad experience,
There are longstanding and sensible experiencing it
arguments for training students in the differently, having
English variety and local culture of the different interactions
place they are going to visit. This can focus with different people,
on the state, county, or city more than and different feelings
just a generic variety such as BrE or AmE. (Byram et al. 2002;
This specially makes sense for secondary or Cao & Newton 2019;
language schools who have an international Du 2019)?
partnership agreement or relationship with Further, what if
a specific school. your students are
As in the examples this article opened with, going to study abroad
students knowing locally relevant language experiences all over
and pronunciation has obvious uses when the world, arranged
they arrive somewhere. Imagine the response by themselves, your
if students turning up in in Wellington or institute, or a third
Lancaster introduced themselves with, party? What if your
“Howdy part’ner!”. While responses may institute receives
(at best), be intended as humour or gentle students from various
teasing, they may not be received that way. locations with different
Similar might apply to cultural behaviours goals, such as learning
such as turn-taking or teacher titles, as local subjects or
students need to know not just a language, improving their English
but how to use it appropriately (Byram et al. for future use?
2002). It is natural for students to want to
sound local, to ‘fit in’ with peers, potential Global language and
friends, and in job searches (Walker & intercultural skills
Archer 2024). Most people learning
But how do we do this, and should/ another language
could it be done by the sending or receiving are likely to use it in
school? Or both? Many schools already do various contexts and
this, and several study abroad agencies have places. Raising students’ awareness of this tertiary level Chinese study abroad learners
programmes to help. In the 21st-Century, can help them see greater use for English in in New Zealand’, New Zealand Studies in
numerous online resources also exist their lives, develop greater engagement with Applied Linguistics, Vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 1-18.
to assist. it, and develop skills to interact in a global n Cutting, J 2015, Pragmatics (3rd ed.),
There are things to be aware of when world of English where people use is as an Routledge.
planning such preparation. Are the materials international language, as a first, second, n Doi, S, & Agullana, P 2025, ‘Beyond
(cultural information or language) out of or third+ language without any significant the classroom: Crafting study abroad ESL
date? Are cultural examples being used cultural expectations; It also encourages programmes with Place-Based Learning’,
cautiously, as descriptions of tendencies students to look at communicative Proceedings of the 23rd Hawaii International
and generalisations not as statements of effectiveness and judge their language skills Conference on Education, pp. 940-949. https://
stereotype behaviour (Cutting 2015)? Are that way rather than focusing on a specific hiceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/
external providers focusing on sales of their ‘standard’ variety benchmark (Walker & EDU2025.pdf
programme more than on education (Shapiro Archer 2024; Wu et al. 2024). n Du, X 2019, ‘The impact of semester-abroad
et al. 2014)? Many language schools and Such preparation can better prepare experiences on post-sojourn L2 motivation’,
allied services are a business; the question is students for reflecting on cultural interactions Studies in Second Language Learning and
whether they focus on that at the expense of and misunderstandings in any interaction, Teaching, Vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 117-155, http://
effective education. not just a specific place (Byram et al. 2002). dx.doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2019.9.1.6
One option is to make use of students who Therefore, cross-cultural or intercultural n Edwards, R 2023, Helping to match expectations
have returned from study abroad experiences skills and preparation using various models and reality. Modern English Teacher, 33, 66-70.
to give up-to-date advice (Edwards 2023), of World Englishes, including from famous n Shapiro, S, Farrelly, R, & Tomas, Z 2014,
and another, if schools have the resources, role models with various accents (Edwards Fostering International Student Success in
is to find video clips of people using the 2023; Walker & Archer 2024), might be the Higher Education, TESOL Press.
local variety of English. A third option is to most effective preparation for study abroad n Walker, R, & Archer, G 2024, Teaching
make use of the actual location students are and for preparing students to use English in English Pronunciation for a global world, OUP.
visiting as part of the learning, using field a globalised world. n Wu, MM, Römhild, R, & Nishizaki, M
trips, talking to local experts, and doing Whether schools sending or receiving study 2024, ‘Teaching English as an International
related research projects and presentations abroad students can manage both targeted Language for global citizenship’, in AF Selvi &
(Doi & Agullana 2025). preparation for the local context and training N Galloway (eds), The Routledge handbook
But does such destination-specific in or awareness-raising of World Englishes of teaching English as an International
preparation take account of English being and English as an International Language and Language, Taylor & Francis, pp. 346-360.
a global international language, used in general cross-cultural skills is a discussion and DOI: 10.4324/9781003203261
a plethora of contexts? Does it allow for decision for the school.
students who may have plans to study or
work other than in this destination, or to REFERENCES Tim Edwards works in the English Language
visit somewhere completely different perhaps n AByram, M, Gribkova, B, & Starkey, H Institute at Victoria University of Wellington,
because they are fans of something from 2002, Developing the intercultural dimension teaching on various programmes there and
there such as Bluey, hobbits, Hogwarts, in language teaching, Council of Europe. occasionally offshore. He has been teaching
or Gossip Girl? Does it account for every n Cao, Z, & Newton, J 2019, ‘Identity in various contexts since 2001.
student, even those sharing the same study construction and language investment by three
editorial@elgazette.com 33