English As an International Language: What It Is and What It Means For Pedagogy

Abstract

A great deal has been written about what English as an International Language (EIL) actually is (e.g. Alsagoff et al., 2012; Matsuda, 2012; McKay and Brown, 2016; Sharifian, 2009), ranging from a view of EIL as the many varieties of English that are spoken today to the use of English by second language speakers of English. Thus, EIL is viewed both as a type of English and as a way of using English. The purpose of this article is to (1) grapple with defining the construct of EIL and (2) elaborate on what this construct means for pedagogy. The article begins by discussing various terms and definitions associated with EIL and positing an alternative definition. Following this, the majority of the article will be devoted to elaborating on what such a definition suggests for a sensitive and effective EIL pedagogy.