Generational Gatekeepers: Parental Impediments to Global Englishes Language Teaching

Today, the majority of students learn English to use as a global lingua franca. New needs require revised curricula. Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT) responds to this need for innovation to reflect the current use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). However, innovation is a complex matter, particularly when it involves divergence from ‘standard’, ‘native’ English norms. This article explores the role of parents in the implementation of GELT, an under-researched group in the growing body of research. Interviews (n = 21) conducted before and after a GELT course on a postgraduate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programme in the United Kingdom, plus six post-course focus groups (n = 27) explored pre- and in-service TESOL practitioners’ attitudes toward GELT. Our study explores this data to examine to what extent these teachers considered parental influence had on curriculum innovation. Findings reveal perceptions that parents still have strong attachments to ‘standard’ English and native-speakerism, hindering potential GELT implementation and particularly on altering teacher hiring practices. A growing number of studies focus on GELT awareness-raising amongst students and teachers. Our study highlights the need for more research on parental attitudes with regard to GELT, as well as how to raise their awareness of modern linguistic realities and how to ultimately involve them in the GELT innovation process.