English as an International Language: Perceptions of EFL Preservice Teachers in Higher Education Institutions in Indonesia

Abstract

It is widely known that the English language has rapidly spread across the globe and is now used for a wide range of purposes. Its status as a national/foreign language has shifted to that of an international language. Despite this awareness, however, studies on perceptions of English as an international language (EIL) among EFL preservice teachers in the Indonesian context are not commonplace in the literature. Therefore, this study was aimed at elucidating the perceptions of the four aspects of EIL among EFL preservice teachers in higher education institutions in Indonesia. This quantitative study adopted a descriptive approach using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire with a total of 14 close-ended statements. Data collected from the questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings suggest that EIL is positively viewed by participants as a means of global communication to achieve a variety of purposes. They welcome and accept various varieties of English, demonstrating a strong multilingual/multicultural understanding through their ability to accept different pronunciation patterns and adapt their behavior and conversational styles when interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. They have a strong sense of ownership over their own English varieties. Finally, the study’s implications for the four aspects of EIL including the current status of English, English varieties, multicultural communication strategies, and the identity of English speakers are also discussed, along with limitations and recommendations for future research.

The role of English as a foreign language learners’ grit and foreign language anxiety in their willingness to communicate: Theoretical perspectives

“…Many developing countries have adopted policies that are designed to reform English education in order to enable citizens to achieve greater success in English communication proficiency because English remains by far the dominant world language. A recognizable goal of English as Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning is to facilitate better communication and understanding among individuals from different cultural and language backgrounds ( Raja et al, 2022 ).…”

International Chinese Postgraduate Students’ Adaptation Strategies for Oral English Communication Practices in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

“…is is essential to improve their academic English communication competence prior to their literary adaptations to Malaysian higher education institutions [30,31]. Similarly, earlier research by Craig [32] argued that discipline knowledge of the English language played a significant role in academic oral English communication.…”

“…[5,6,18,29], which identifies the lack of studies concerning mainland Chinese students' English oral communication experiences in ASEAN countries. According to our understanding, research on EFL students' academic oral English communication experiences in ASEAN countries is a relatively new research area that contributes to the core theoretical development of communicative competence [30].…”

“…Another strategy that the participants suggested to overcome the challenges in English academic communication in Malaysian universities is that host universities providing English communication activities. According to communicative competence theory, nonnative speakers should master the ability to apply the English language in a specific context through numerous oral English communication activities [30]. Apart from academic workshops and seminars, which many host universities in Malaysia are conducting, host universities can help further alleviate the issues faced by all international students by constantly holding informal and social English communication activities in which they can participate [11].…”

English as an international language (EIL) views in Indonesia and Japan: A survey research

“…This shift has led to a significant decline in the significance of English as a foreign language (EFL) settings in Indonesia, where English has a positive effect on ethnic identities and where English has a positive effect on ethnic identities. According to Raja et al. (2022) , EFL pre-service teachers in Indonesia feel that EIL may be used for a number of purposes.…”