Nicos C. Sifakis
Nicos Sifakis is a full professor of English for specific purposes in the Department of English Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is also director of the Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) in TESOL Programme of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) and has been involved in it since its inception in 1998. He holds a Ph.D. in language and linguistics from the University of Essex, UK. He is founding editor-in-chief of Research Papers in Language Teaching and Learning (http://rpltl.eap.gr/). He has published more than 70 research papers, which appear in various international refereed journals (among others, Applied Linguistics, TESOL Quarterly, ELT Journal, English for Specific Purposes, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, Language and Education, System), edited collections and conference proceedings. He acts as a regular external referee for TESOL Quarterly, English for Specific Purposes, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, System, Open Education and Adult Education. His research interests include intercultural communication and pedagogy, teaching and researching English as an international lingua franca, language teaching methodology, distance education, adult education and teacher education. He is co-editor of English as a Lingua Franca for EFL Contexts (Multilingual Matters, 2019), Using English as a Lingua Franca in Education in Europe (de Gruyter, 2018) and English Language Education Policies and Practices in the Mediterranean Countries (Peter Lang, 2017), author of The English Language and Globalisation: Facets of present-day reality in Greece, Europe and the rest of the world. (in Greek, 2012) and guest editor of the Colloquium titled “ELF awareness in ELT: Bringing together theory and practice” (Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 2018, 7/1). More details about Nicos Sifakis’ research can be accessed at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicos_Sifakis/publications.
Phone: +30 2610 367 687
Address: School of Humanities
Hellenic Open University
18 Parodos Aristotelous
26 335, Patras, Greece
Phone: +30 2610 367 687
Address: School of Humanities
Hellenic Open University
18 Parodos Aristotelous
26 335, Patras, Greece
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Books by Nicos C. Sifakis
The questions that the book addresses are the following:
• How did English get to be so powerful? Which historic facts contributed to its rapid, yet progressive transformation to becoming a global language? What other preconditions led to that? What are the predictions about the future of the global spread of English?
• Is it possible to provide a wholesome and scientifically comprehensive account of the global spread of English? What interpretative models have been put forward to describe the widely different uses and communicative functions of English globally?
• What are the positive and negative consequences of the global spread of English? Specifically, what concerns need to be addressed as regards the links between that spread and the processes of globalisation?
• To what extent is that spread desirable and to what extent is it harmful? How can one know? In what ways can one resist the global spread of English? How can this be achieved at a personal or broader level, e.g., through the development of an appropriate state educational policy?
• What is the situation with regard to the teaching, learning and usage of English in Greece and how are things different in this regard from the rest of the European Union?
The book devotes four chapters on Greece. The issues addressed are the following:
• What is the legal status with regard to the role of foreign languages, and especially English, in Greece, vis-à-vis the rest of Europe and the world? What conclusions can we draw from an analysis of major legal documents, such as the Constitution, presidential decrees and current jurisprudence?
• What is the status of English in the workplace? How does that status differentiate, if at all, between the state-controlled and the private sector? To what extent is knowledge of English deemed necessary in securing a job in the state sector? What conclusions can be drawn by looking at documentation such as the Employee Code and contract positions delegated through the Supreme Council for Personnel Selection (ASEP)?
• What is current policy on the teaching and learning of English in Greece? What is the historical development of English and other foreign language curricula in compulsory education? What is the role of English language teaching in tertiary education?
• What attitudes do people who live in this country hold about the “English language” phenomenon? More specifically, how do school pupils, their parents and their teachers view the roles, functions and spread of English today both inside and outside the country?
• To what extent is there recognition of the real dimensions of this phenomenon by stakeholders and what measures have been taken in the past (and should be taken in the near future) to address it in terms of political decision-making (legislation, education policy, labour policy)?
It is not our contention that it is possible to provide exhaustive answers to all these important questions. However, all attempts are made to equip interested readers, parents, students, teachers, job seekers, as well as those who are engaged in strategic planning and decision making with the required information they would need to further reflect and act upon these issues. To that end, we have adopted a spiral presentation of concepts and issues, which are first listed in a generic and illustrative manner, and then examined in depth. We believe that this facilitates the average reader, who need not have any specialized knowledge on the issues discussed.
The book is divided into four sections. The first section focuses on a detailed account of the spread of English in a broad range of activities today, together with a preliminary attempt at identifying ways for developing an interpretative methodology for this phenomenon. Thus, Chapter 1 presents examples of activities in domains like international entrepreneurship, trade and tourism, publishing and the media, education, science and research. We discuss the role of English as a powerful translation and communication tool for international organizations and coalitions of states, and present some data that exemplify the influence that language has on other languages. In Chapter 2 we present a first approximation of the main reasons for the spread of English worldwide, and put forward a number of factors that go against this expansion. The first section of the book concludes with Chapter 3, which lays the foundations for the theoretical and practical discussion that ensues. We present a series of methodological tools for the description and interpretation of the linguistic and political domination of the English language worldwide, and refer to such issues as the ties of influence between English and other languages of the world, the mapping of the use and importance of the English language in different parts of the world, the concept of “colingualism” as a means of understanding that usage, and the definition of the term “standard language”.
The second section of the book focuses on the first range of the spread of English in the so-called colonialism period. Chapter 4 presents the dispersion of the language in the British Isles and then its spread to the other continents. The political, social and linguistic consequences of this expansion are described in detail in Chapter 5. We present an in-depth account of the widespread and, at the same time, idiosyncratic functions of English with reference to different geographical areas and various countries’ historical connection to the metropolitan base. We then present a comprehensive orientation of English as a first, second and foreign language.
The phenomenon of globalisation and its multiple correlations with the English language are the subject-matter of the third section of the book. Chapter 6 presents an overview of globalisation, with a focus on different theoretical approaches and interpretations. The chapter concludes with a statement of the consequences of globalisation and ways of resistance to it that have been put forward. Chapter 7 attempts an interpretation of globalised English with reference to the theories of globalisation, focusing on the role of institutions like the British Council. It then goes on to present aspects of the critical approach to global English. The complex mechanisms involved in the maintenance of the global English phenomenon is the subject-matter of Chapter 8, which presents extensive accounts of Phillipson’s “linguistic imperialism”, Brutt-Griffler’s theory of “macro-acquisition” and the orientation of English as an “international lingua franca”. We then go on to discuss a number of proposals that have been put forward in an attempt to deal with the issue of the global spread of English, such as the moves for “simplified” English, as well as alternative models of world languages, such as the case of Esperanto and other languages with an international reach.
The last part of the book focuses on Greece. Chapter 9 discusses the role and functions of English in our country. We review the legal status of English in Greece, with reference to a large number of examples from laws and presidential decrees that have been passed recently, and offer further examples of different uses of English in different parts of daily life, together with an extensive account of the influences of English on the Greek language (anglicisms). The chapter ends with an extensive chronological account of the milestones in the teaching of English in Greek public schools. Chapter 10 focuses on the users of English in Greece and attempts a thorough description of the prevailing attitudes to the English language, linking them to the notions of multiculturalism, interculturalism and multilingualism. We discuss the high status and widespread concern, especially among young people and their families, for the acquisition of formal certification of proficiency in English provided by standardised examination bodies (we term this phenomenon “pistopoiitikokratia”, which can roughly be translated as “the dominance of certificates for their own sake”); we go on to critically reflect on the impact of this phenomenon on the quality of education (i.e., studying the foreign language with the sole purpose of obtaining a certificate of proficiency in the shortest amount of time possible). Finally, we review recent research of the views of teachers of English in public schools about the international spread of English.
The last two chapters put forward our suggestions and proposals regarding key issues discussed in the book that either have already been or need to become the subject of public debate in the near future. Chapter 11 refers to Anna Diamantopoulou’s proposal, since 2001, regarding the formal recognition of English in our country. We put forward a comprehensive multi-tiered framework for the role of English in the Greek educational system. Finally, in Chapter 12, we submit a series of comprehensive education-oriented proposals that refer to (a) the curriculum for the teaching of English in compulsory education, (b) a detailed breakdown of the skills required for the use of English as an international language in our country, (c) the ways in which the teaching of English can contribute to intercultural education, (d) the development and professional preparation of reflective practitioners of English as an international lingua franca, and (d) the role of assessment of language and communication skills as a means of curbing the phenomenon of “pistopoiitikokratia” in Greece.
Papers by Nicos C. Sifakis
The questions that the book addresses are the following:
• How did English get to be so powerful? Which historic facts contributed to its rapid, yet progressive transformation to becoming a global language? What other preconditions led to that? What are the predictions about the future of the global spread of English?
• Is it possible to provide a wholesome and scientifically comprehensive account of the global spread of English? What interpretative models have been put forward to describe the widely different uses and communicative functions of English globally?
• What are the positive and negative consequences of the global spread of English? Specifically, what concerns need to be addressed as regards the links between that spread and the processes of globalisation?
• To what extent is that spread desirable and to what extent is it harmful? How can one know? In what ways can one resist the global spread of English? How can this be achieved at a personal or broader level, e.g., through the development of an appropriate state educational policy?
• What is the situation with regard to the teaching, learning and usage of English in Greece and how are things different in this regard from the rest of the European Union?
The book devotes four chapters on Greece. The issues addressed are the following:
• What is the legal status with regard to the role of foreign languages, and especially English, in Greece, vis-à-vis the rest of Europe and the world? What conclusions can we draw from an analysis of major legal documents, such as the Constitution, presidential decrees and current jurisprudence?
• What is the status of English in the workplace? How does that status differentiate, if at all, between the state-controlled and the private sector? To what extent is knowledge of English deemed necessary in securing a job in the state sector? What conclusions can be drawn by looking at documentation such as the Employee Code and contract positions delegated through the Supreme Council for Personnel Selection (ASEP)?
• What is current policy on the teaching and learning of English in Greece? What is the historical development of English and other foreign language curricula in compulsory education? What is the role of English language teaching in tertiary education?
• What attitudes do people who live in this country hold about the “English language” phenomenon? More specifically, how do school pupils, their parents and their teachers view the roles, functions and spread of English today both inside and outside the country?
• To what extent is there recognition of the real dimensions of this phenomenon by stakeholders and what measures have been taken in the past (and should be taken in the near future) to address it in terms of political decision-making (legislation, education policy, labour policy)?
It is not our contention that it is possible to provide exhaustive answers to all these important questions. However, all attempts are made to equip interested readers, parents, students, teachers, job seekers, as well as those who are engaged in strategic planning and decision making with the required information they would need to further reflect and act upon these issues. To that end, we have adopted a spiral presentation of concepts and issues, which are first listed in a generic and illustrative manner, and then examined in depth. We believe that this facilitates the average reader, who need not have any specialized knowledge on the issues discussed.
The book is divided into four sections. The first section focuses on a detailed account of the spread of English in a broad range of activities today, together with a preliminary attempt at identifying ways for developing an interpretative methodology for this phenomenon. Thus, Chapter 1 presents examples of activities in domains like international entrepreneurship, trade and tourism, publishing and the media, education, science and research. We discuss the role of English as a powerful translation and communication tool for international organizations and coalitions of states, and present some data that exemplify the influence that language has on other languages. In Chapter 2 we present a first approximation of the main reasons for the spread of English worldwide, and put forward a number of factors that go against this expansion. The first section of the book concludes with Chapter 3, which lays the foundations for the theoretical and practical discussion that ensues. We present a series of methodological tools for the description and interpretation of the linguistic and political domination of the English language worldwide, and refer to such issues as the ties of influence between English and other languages of the world, the mapping of the use and importance of the English language in different parts of the world, the concept of “colingualism” as a means of understanding that usage, and the definition of the term “standard language”.
The second section of the book focuses on the first range of the spread of English in the so-called colonialism period. Chapter 4 presents the dispersion of the language in the British Isles and then its spread to the other continents. The political, social and linguistic consequences of this expansion are described in detail in Chapter 5. We present an in-depth account of the widespread and, at the same time, idiosyncratic functions of English with reference to different geographical areas and various countries’ historical connection to the metropolitan base. We then present a comprehensive orientation of English as a first, second and foreign language.
The phenomenon of globalisation and its multiple correlations with the English language are the subject-matter of the third section of the book. Chapter 6 presents an overview of globalisation, with a focus on different theoretical approaches and interpretations. The chapter concludes with a statement of the consequences of globalisation and ways of resistance to it that have been put forward. Chapter 7 attempts an interpretation of globalised English with reference to the theories of globalisation, focusing on the role of institutions like the British Council. It then goes on to present aspects of the critical approach to global English. The complex mechanisms involved in the maintenance of the global English phenomenon is the subject-matter of Chapter 8, which presents extensive accounts of Phillipson’s “linguistic imperialism”, Brutt-Griffler’s theory of “macro-acquisition” and the orientation of English as an “international lingua franca”. We then go on to discuss a number of proposals that have been put forward in an attempt to deal with the issue of the global spread of English, such as the moves for “simplified” English, as well as alternative models of world languages, such as the case of Esperanto and other languages with an international reach.
The last part of the book focuses on Greece. Chapter 9 discusses the role and functions of English in our country. We review the legal status of English in Greece, with reference to a large number of examples from laws and presidential decrees that have been passed recently, and offer further examples of different uses of English in different parts of daily life, together with an extensive account of the influences of English on the Greek language (anglicisms). The chapter ends with an extensive chronological account of the milestones in the teaching of English in Greek public schools. Chapter 10 focuses on the users of English in Greece and attempts a thorough description of the prevailing attitudes to the English language, linking them to the notions of multiculturalism, interculturalism and multilingualism. We discuss the high status and widespread concern, especially among young people and their families, for the acquisition of formal certification of proficiency in English provided by standardised examination bodies (we term this phenomenon “pistopoiitikokratia”, which can roughly be translated as “the dominance of certificates for their own sake”); we go on to critically reflect on the impact of this phenomenon on the quality of education (i.e., studying the foreign language with the sole purpose of obtaining a certificate of proficiency in the shortest amount of time possible). Finally, we review recent research of the views of teachers of English in public schools about the international spread of English.
The last two chapters put forward our suggestions and proposals regarding key issues discussed in the book that either have already been or need to become the subject of public debate in the near future. Chapter 11 refers to Anna Diamantopoulou’s proposal, since 2001, regarding the formal recognition of English in our country. We put forward a comprehensive multi-tiered framework for the role of English in the Greek educational system. Finally, in Chapter 12, we submit a series of comprehensive education-oriented proposals that refer to (a) the curriculum for the teaching of English in compulsory education, (b) a detailed breakdown of the skills required for the use of English as an international language in our country, (c) the ways in which the teaching of English can contribute to intercultural education, (d) the development and professional preparation of reflective practitioners of English as an international lingua franca, and (d) the role of assessment of language and communication skills as a means of curbing the phenomenon of “pistopoiitikokratia” in Greece.
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