Section One

The principles and practices of EIL (English as an international language) have

numerous implications for teaching EFL (English as a foreign language) as well as for
our cultural and pedagogical experiences at Kyunghwa Girls Middle School. English is a
diverse language spoken around the world as a lingua franca, and varieties of English
spoken by non-native speakers are as valid as varieties spoken by native speakers.
Therefore, the variety of English used in any situation depends on the context of the
interaction and the backgrounds of the speakers involved. The concept of EIL affects EFL
pedagogical practices because in order to use English in these globalized contexts,
students need to develop procedural knowledge of English. The EFL teacher should
ensure students acquire higher-level skills such as an understanding of how grammar
operates in all languages, the ability to modify language use based on context, and the
ability to find meaning when part of a conversation is not understood. EFL teachers are
also responsible for ensuring students themselves are aware of the diversity of English so
they can become equipped to communicate with people from around the world
(Canagarajah).
The conceptual framework of EIL is also directly applicable to the Korean
educational system. As a result of English fever, a national obsession with English
education, many Koreans perceive English education as a means of maintaining or
improving social status. This English fever stemmed from the globalization of English
and changes in Korean government and society. Native-like pronunciation is viewed as
necessary, so native speaker teachers are frequently hired, and the Korean variety of

English is discouraged. This form of educational practice conflicts with the IEL principle
that all varieties of English are valid (Park).
The framework for EIL has also influenced my observations and interactions at
Kyunghwa. When speaking with students outside of the classroom, I encourage them to
find a way to convey their meaning, even if their grammar and pronunciation are not
perfect. This speaking practice also helps the students find meaning when some parts of
my speech are not understood. In the classroom, I have not observed the pedagogical
practices of EIL. During our observation weeks, speaking tests were occurring, so I was
only able to observe a few lessons. However, I plan to implement the pedagogical
practices of EIL into my own lesson plans. An understanding of EIL is crucial to the
theories and practices of EFL teaching.
Section Two
The above research informed my lesson plan decisions for this EFL instructional
unit. The unit is intended for first-year students at Kyunghwa Girls Middle School (the
students are the equivalent of American 7th grade students). There is a diverse range of
English language abilities and educational experiences of the students at the school. On
the ACTFL proficiency scale, students range from novice low to intermediate low. A few
students have spent long periods of time in English-speaking countries or have private
English tutors, but most students only receive English instruction at Kyunghwa. All
students, however, are exposed to English in their everyday lives. Many signs throughout
the school are in English, and students are exposed to American culture through
American music and food.

We chose the topic of food for our EFL unit because students from all
backgrounds can connect to this topic. As a result of the low proficiency level of the
students, complex conversations with them are not possible, but students love to ask us
how our lunch was or what Korean foods we enjoy. We specifically focus on teaching
students how to describe food and how to order food in a restaurant because these skills
are essential for communication in many situations. The topic of food is also a way to
improve students understanding of American culture, which is an important part of
language teaching.
Our EFL unit fosters English language learning because it encourages
communication through information gap activities and contextualized dialogues. The
framework for EIL informed our decision to contextualize dialogues and speaking
activities. Our content objectives focus on students being able to describe food using
flavor vocabulary, recognize new American food vocabulary, and order food at a
restaurant. In order to achieve these objectives, we will scaffold students knowledge
through student-centered listening, reading, writing, and speaking activities. We will
measure student success through various formative assessments during the lesson and a
short summative assessment at the end of each lesson. In conclusion, the following
instructional unit was chosen based on consideration for EIL principles and practices,
EFL pedagogical strategies, and the cultural background of the students at Kyunghwa
Girls Middle School.

References
Canagarajah, Suresh. In Search of a New Paradigm for Teaching English as an
International Language. TESOL Journal 5.4 (2014): 767-785. Web. 17 Jun. 2016.
Park, Jin-Kyu. English fever in South Korea: its history and symptoms. English
Today 25.1 (2009): 50-57. Web. 17 Jun. 2016.