Moving beyond accuracy: from tests of English to tests of "Englishing"

• Autores: Christopher J. Hall
• Localización: ELT journal: An international journal for teachers of English to speakers of other languages, ISSN 0951-0893, Vol. 68, Nº 4, 2014, págs. 376-385
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Dialnet Métricas: 1 Cita
• Resumen

  • This article examines how English is conceptualized in the domain of testing, and particularly the tendency to identify the concepts of �standard English� and �native English� with �the language itself�. I argue that such a monolithic view is inconsistent with the diversity of Englishes attestable across both native and non-native users and uses, and that this undermines the inclusion of accuracy criteria in English language tests. Adopting an alternative �plurilithic� orientation, I challenge the traditional view on both cognitive and social grounds, arguing that the Englishes encountered and appropriated by non-native speakers will inevitably be qualitatively different from �standard English� models, and that the effectiveness of the resources learners do develop should be assessed, where appropriate, independently of linguistic criteria. I conclude that a shift is required from tests of English to tests of �Englishing�: from testing how people use the language to testing what they can do with it.