World Englishes in English Language Teaching: A Study of English Language Teachers in Australia

The unprecedented growth of the number of world Englishes (WEs) calls for English language teaching (ELT) programs to take into consideration the place and relevance of WEs to the content and delivery of their curricula. This concern is particularly compelling in the multi-varietal context of Australia, where speakers from different Kachruvian Circles interact frequently with one another. Investigating the place and pertinence of WEs and culture in ELT in Australia, this study focuses on ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) and explores the perceptions of English language teachers. The aims were to examine the extent to which ELICOS teachers are aware of the paradigm of World Englishes (WE), and to investigate such teachers’ perceptions of the relevance of WEs and culture/s to their ELT curricula and teaching practices.