Teaching Global Englishes: Reducing Bias in the Classroom

In today’s globalized world, English is spoken in diverse accents and forms, reflecting the richness of Global Englishes (GE) (Eberhard et al., 2022). While communication among GE users is common (Seidlhofer, 2011), research shows that listeners—both native (L1) and non-native (L2) speakers—often hold negative perceptions toward different GE varieties (Lindemann et al., 2014). These biases can affect students’ confidence and success in education, healthcare, employment, and even criminal justice (Rubin, 1992; Rubin et al., 2016; Hanson & Dovidio, 2016; Lippi-Green, 1994).

This webinar presents findings from a multi-site study that tested a two-week intervention aimed at improving perceptions of diverse English varieties in the U.S. and China. The results offer practical insights for helping students navigate and appreciate linguistic diversity.

By attending, you will:
✔️ Understand how listener bias toward different English varieties exists among language learners.
✔️ Learn evidence-based strategies to promote acceptance of diverse accents and speech patterns.
✔️ Discover practical classroom techniques to improve communication among students from different backgrounds.
✔️ Gain tools to create a more inclusive and globally aware learning environment.

Whether you’re an experienced teacher or new to the field, this webinar will equip you with valuable strategies to support your students in today’s multilingual world.

Presenter

Yongzhi (Vito) Miao is a fourth-year PhD candidate in applied linguistics at Northern Arizona University. He is interested in second language speech in relation to second language acquisition, language assessment, research methodology, and intercultural communication. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as System, TESOL Quarterly, and Language Testing.