Norm as a pedagogical paradigm

Abstract

ABSTRACT:This paper is concerned with the concept of norm and its place in a theory of linguistics: a number of factors need to be taken into consideration when deciding on a particular norm in the case of the teaching of English as an international language. When English is taught as a foreign (EFL) and a second (ESL) language the native standard of English‐speaking countries is transferred. While this may have been the obvious and simplest solution at the beginning of the international spread of English, the historical development of the language and its unprecedented spread have given rise to a number of very different contexts to which the same paradigms cannot necessarily be applied. In this respect, it is important to distinguish the situation in the Outer Circle from the situation in the Expanding Circle. The paper discusses various factors which contribute to the complexity of ESL/EFL teaching and which should be weighed in any decision about a standard. These are: the issue of participation as freedom and responsibility, the subjectivity of the speaker, the issue of power, the bilingual's creativity, the concept of identity, intelligibility and the expectations of students. It is recognized that there is no simple and general solution to the problem of norm as a pedagogical paradigm.

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