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Presenters
Assist. Prof. Dr. Eda ÜSTÜNEL    
Assist. Prof. Dr. Aynur KESEN
English Language Teaching Dept.     
English Language and Literature Dept.
Cyprus International University,
Cyprus

Title
EFL Teachers’ Perception of English as an International Language. A Study on Metaphorical Images.

Abstract

The issue of globalization is commonly linked with the popularity of the English language. The concept of the English language as a means of global communication has been referred to as International English, Global English, or World English. In the realm of this definition, teaching of English as a foreign or second language has also been discussed under such terms as universality, flexibility, or dual standard. As a result of this intellectual shift, foreign language teachers have been questioning the political, social, or cultural issues of English Language as the International Language and thus they have been in the process of modifying the ways they construe English Language and the ways it should be taught. Since teachers’ beliefs and ideas about the language they teach are crucial for their actual classroom practice, how EFL teachers perceive and conceptualize English Language as a global language seem to be of great concern.

For this reason, the present study aims to explore EFL teachers’ perception of English Language through metaphorical images. The study focuses on Turkish EFL teachers’ metaphors regarding the issue of English as an International Language. The participants were 200 EFL teachers teaching at Cukurova University, Mugla University, and Cyprus International University.  The present study further investigates the differences in regard to gender and teaching experience.  The data were collected by means of a questionnaire and follow up interviews.