<Before watching>

 

• Does your native language have different dialects? Which one of those dialects do you consider to be the standard and why?
• What is standard English for you? Who speaks a standard variety of English?
• Do you want to speak English like a native speaker? Why or why not?
• What historical role has English had in different parts of the world?

 

— While watching, take notes on anything that interests, strikes, or puzzles you.—

 

<Discussions/Reflections>

 

• What did you learn from this episode? Did you find anything interesting or surprising while watching it?
• Did anything in the episode resonate with your personal experiences?
• Has this episode influenced your perspectives toward communication? If so, how? If not, why not?
• One person says he doesn’t like the idea of a standard. Can you think of some of the benefits and drawbacks of standard (English) language?
• Is standard (English) language necessary to communicate a message effectively? Why or why not?
• Between speaking and writing, is there any difference in the expectation for using “good” English? If so, why?
• How has English affected the lives of colonized peoples? Have other languages had similar effects?
• What are the pros and cons of using subtitles (transcripts) for this video?

 

<Further Questions>

 

• Some people mention the idea that standard (English) language serves a ‘gatekeeping function’. What do they mean by this?
• What factors (e.g., historical, social, economic, political) influence the shaping of various beliefs about English and English speakers?
• The notion that the goal of (English) language learning should be ‘native-like’ characteristics (fluency, pronunciation, etc.) may be shared in many places. Can or should this belief be challenged? How and by whom?