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Subject:Re: What to do? From:Sean Hower <hokumhome -at- freehomepage -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 30 Oct 2003 07:26:48 -0800 (PST)
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Westbrook,Beth wrote:
Many people prefer the former because saying "English as a Second Language" is Anglocentric and assumes that everybody who learns a foreign language learns English first, whereas "English as a Foreign Language" doesn't make the same assumption.
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Really? Who? How can someone draw such a conclusion?
English as a second language applies to learners of English living in an English speaking culture. English as a Foreign Language applies to learners of English not living in an English speaking culture. It's a matter of where the learner is learning English. At least that's the way it was explained to me. The same applies to JSL and JFL, or CSL and CFL. Are those terms Japanese-centric and Sino-centric, and would the "many people" become equally offended if they heard someone say "Japanese as a Second Language?" Check out this link:
"Second language" doesn't mean the very next language someone learns after their "first language." That would lead, by extension, to a "third language" "fourth language" and so forth, which I just haven't heard anyone say unless they were making the point about the order in which they learned the language. "Second language" just means any languages, such as English or Pocomchi, that is not your native language. Hence, "second language acquisition," and not "fifth language acquisition." I wouldn't say "Japanese is my second language and Chinese is my third language" I would say Japanese and Chinese are both second langauges for me. See the following link:
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