Papers by Sean Sutherland
I-LanD Journal. Identity, Language and Diversity, 2017
This article argues that right-wing online commentary on news articles, despite its reputation fo... more This article argues that right-wing online commentary on news articles, despite its reputation for being poorly-written, insulting and ill-considered, is in fact often composed of discursive structures designed to mark its authors as members of a community of practice who use language to resist what they see as the dominant left-wing ideology in media outlets. First, I discuss the nature of critical discourse analysis, in particular, its relation to the study of language as a tool for both social control and resistance to social control. I then show that online commenters at the Daily Mail Online newspaper website are a community of practice who have shared goals and a shared repertoire of linguistic tools. Finally, I examine some indicative comments qualitatively, in an effort to provide some insights into how right-wing commenters use language to re-frame arguments presented in online newspaper articles; by means of implicature, deliberate misspellings of key words, and straw man arguments about political correctness, they position themselves as marginalised members of society. Despite there being little or no evidence that online discussion of topics related to race are censored at the Daily Mail Online, comments arguing that political correctness prohibits certain types of speech remain popular with readers.
English across the fracture lines, 2017
Sean Sutherland offers a perspective on how English is being used globally to communicate message... more Sean Sutherland offers a perspective on how English is being used globally to communicate messages beyond boundaries and to unite groups of people together under a particular cause. Using critical discourse analysis, he examines the signs used by non-native English-speaking campaigners during the Egyptian anti-government uprising of 2011. His analysis suggests that these campaigners used English-language signs to present themselves as ‘humorous, technologically-inclined modernists’ – and thus not all that different from the audiences globally that were watching the events unravel in the media. While much previous research has focused on the detrimental effects that the increasing worldwide use of the language might have on different language users across the globe, Sutherland shows how the use of English gives voice to those who might not otherwise be heard internationally, creates and maintains relationships with those abroad in an attempt to build a community of practice of likeminded individuals, and thus contributes to empathy, intercultural understanding and peace worldwide.
“In this beautifully exemplified and neatly-structured work, Sean Sutherland guides readers throu... more “In this beautifully exemplified and neatly-structured work, Sean Sutherland guides readers through the various ways of thinking about language in use. This is a must-read for students, scholars and practitioners with an interest in text and discourse analysis.” Sofia Lampropoulou, Department of English, University of Liverpool, UK
“Pitched in a way beginning linguists can understand, Sutherland explains and provides an overview of central issues in discourse analysis. A Beginner’s Guide to Discourse Analysis is written in a clear, lively style and introduces a breadth of key concepts and topics, including up-to-date contemporary examples. An accessible and engaging introduction.” Urszula Clark, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
Asian EFL Journal
In Japan and other countries around Asia and the world, local English teachers sometimes instruct... more In Japan and other countries around Asia and the world, local English teachers sometimes instruct their students by sharing teaching duties with native English speaking assistant teachers. This team teaching, as it is known, has grown in popularity in Japan since its introduction in the 1980s. According to most literature, the assistants' primary role in the classroom should be to provide students with a model of native English . Previous research has shown that team teaching motivates Japanese students to learn English as the assistant teacher may be one of the few people they know who speaks English as a native language. Less research has been done on the assistants' classroom practices, especially with regards to whether or not they are used effectively as models of native English.
Journal of English Studies
In Japan, English is often taught by teams composed of a local Japanese teacher of English (JTE) ... more In Japan, English is often taught by teams composed of a local Japanese teacher of English (JTE) and a native English speaking assistant English teacher (AET). This form of team teaching is typically assumed to be beneficial as it provides the students with exposure to models of native English which they would otherwise not encounter. Research has found that students and JTEs approve of team teaching as it provides students with motivation to study a language that would otherwise have little relevance to their daily lives. Less research has been done to explore how team teaching affects the JTEs with regards to their feelings about their own skills as English language users. In this paper, based on interview research with JTEs, I argue that team teaching reinforces the dichotomy between native and non-native speakers to the detriment of both Japanese teachers and their students.
Arab World Englishes Journal, Dec 2012
Native English speakers are often claimed to be better language teachers than non-native English ... more Native English speakers are often claimed to be better language teachers than non-native English speakers, both by those who have not reflected critically on the inherent differences between knowing how to use a language and knowing how to teach a language, and by those who assume that non-native English speakers are by definition not fluent. Nativeness is thus equated with pedagogical superiority. This claim, whether it is made by students, parents, hiring boards, or other interested parties, is detrimental to non-native English teachers as educators and to the students who learn from them. Non-native English speaking teachers may be demoralised or discriminated against in hiring practices. Students lose when they are taught by teachers with nativeness as their defining characteristic, rather than by the best teachers. In this article the native speakers model, itself a problematic concept, is analysed to show how supposed nativeness is difficult to define accurately. Then the benefits of being taught by native English speakers and non-native English speakers are outlined, with a view to promoting more just hiring practices and sounder educational results for students of English worldwide.
Exposing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students to different varieties of English can be be... more Exposing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students to different varieties of English can be beneficial in numerous ways, but teachers may be unaware of how they can do this. This paper briefly explains the concept of World Englishes, then describes one teacher’s attempt to use the Internet to provide his students with examples of real English from around the world. Finally, it offers a selection of positive student responses to the experience.
PhD (King's College London, University of London), 2010
In Japan the team teaching of English language classes has been a growing phenomenon since the la... more In Japan the team teaching of English language classes has been a growing phenomenon since the late 1980s. Team teaching typically involves two teachers: a Japanese teacher of English (JTE) who has a university degree in English or education and a teaching qualification, and an assistant English teacher (AET) who is usually an untrained recent university graduate from Britain, the United States or another country whose citizens are primarily thought to be native English speakers. The stated goal of team teaching is to improve Japanese students’ English abilities by having a native English speaking AET in the class as a model of the target language. AETs are often popular with students, their parents and administrators, primarily because they are seen to provide motivation for language learning. JTEs may appreciate AETs, especially as co-workers to share the workload with, something any teacher would certainly appreciate.
Less research has been done into asking JTEs how they feel about team teaching as it relates to their identities as teachers and as English speakers. For this thesis I used qualitative research interviews and classroom observation to investigate what it means to be a Japanese teacher of English who working with an AET. This data was related to the relevant literature. Several key findings were uncovered: JTEs receive no training on team teaching, leaving them feeling unable to manage their AET partners; JTEs feel that AETs speak ‘real’ English, leaving JTEs in the unenviable position of being expected to teach a language that they are not thought to have mastered; AETs provide students with little exposure to ‘real’ English; JTEs sometimes disparage AETs’ teaching skills and distrust AETs’ motives for working in Japan; and JTEs do not feel they themselves have the skills to teach English. This situation could likely be improved were curriculum planners to take more account of Japanese students’ real need for English, rather than the current view which assumes these students need to learn English from native English-speaking AETs.
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Papers by Sean Sutherland
“Pitched in a way beginning linguists can understand, Sutherland explains and provides an overview of central issues in discourse analysis. A Beginner’s Guide to Discourse Analysis is written in a clear, lively style and introduces a breadth of key concepts and topics, including up-to-date contemporary examples. An accessible and engaging introduction.” Urszula Clark, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
Less research has been done into asking JTEs how they feel about team teaching as it relates to their identities as teachers and as English speakers. For this thesis I used qualitative research interviews and classroom observation to investigate what it means to be a Japanese teacher of English who working with an AET. This data was related to the relevant literature. Several key findings were uncovered: JTEs receive no training on team teaching, leaving them feeling unable to manage their AET partners; JTEs feel that AETs speak ‘real’ English, leaving JTEs in the unenviable position of being expected to teach a language that they are not thought to have mastered; AETs provide students with little exposure to ‘real’ English; JTEs sometimes disparage AETs’ teaching skills and distrust AETs’ motives for working in Japan; and JTEs do not feel they themselves have the skills to teach English. This situation could likely be improved were curriculum planners to take more account of Japanese students’ real need for English, rather than the current view which assumes these students need to learn English from native English-speaking AETs.
“Pitched in a way beginning linguists can understand, Sutherland explains and provides an overview of central issues in discourse analysis. A Beginner’s Guide to Discourse Analysis is written in a clear, lively style and introduces a breadth of key concepts and topics, including up-to-date contemporary examples. An accessible and engaging introduction.” Urszula Clark, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
Less research has been done into asking JTEs how they feel about team teaching as it relates to their identities as teachers and as English speakers. For this thesis I used qualitative research interviews and classroom observation to investigate what it means to be a Japanese teacher of English who working with an AET. This data was related to the relevant literature. Several key findings were uncovered: JTEs receive no training on team teaching, leaving them feeling unable to manage their AET partners; JTEs feel that AETs speak ‘real’ English, leaving JTEs in the unenviable position of being expected to teach a language that they are not thought to have mastered; AETs provide students with little exposure to ‘real’ English; JTEs sometimes disparage AETs’ teaching skills and distrust AETs’ motives for working in Japan; and JTEs do not feel they themselves have the skills to teach English. This situation could likely be improved were curriculum planners to take more account of Japanese students’ real need for English, rather than the current view which assumes these students need to learn English from native English-speaking AETs.