[Eleanor Kane Hinohara. Nagoya: Perceptia Press, 2025. p. 127. ¥2,970. ISBN: 978-491116-407-5.]
What are Global Englishes? A CLIL Course for Learners of English is an informative textbook designed for students learning in a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) context. This book is intended for university students who have an intermediate to upper-intermediate (B1–B2) level of English. It contains 15 units, which ensure that students without a prior background in Global Englishes can achieve a full understanding of the lessons.
The first unit begins with a discussion of the definition of Global Englishes, and the succeeding chapters explore the history of English and how it spread to different countries. Each unit follows a consistent pattern, beginning with a warm-up interview where students may use expressions for communication. There are also two vocabulary exercises: the first involves matching words with their meanings, and the second involves matching photos with the appropriate vocabulary words. The warm-up activities, which involve speaking activities and vocabulary development in every unit, aid students with comprehending the unit reading. The activities presented in each unit align with schema theory in the field of ESL, where warm-up discussions and vocabulary previews activate students’ existing knowledge structures, or schemata, thereby improving comprehension and engagement (Carrell & Eisterhold, 1983).
The highlight of each unit is the reading section, which not only integrates vocabulary from the preceding activities but also discusses the history of how English spread globally. Furthermore, each reading provides examples of English varieties from these countries, enabling students to differentiate among them and determine their historical roots. After the reading, students learn to analyze data and diagrams. The activities involving diagrams and data analysis match the goal of the course. Because the discussion of the English Proficiency Index (EPI) is included in the lesson plan, the textbook was a precise reference to introduce students to EPI, which is discussed in one of the units. Throughout the unit, some activities aim to help students develop academic language skills. The transition from schema activation to enhancing academic language skills through phrases used in writing, formal presentations, and data analyses demonstrates a CLIL-based scaffolding approach. This progression also aligns with Coyle’s (2007) 4Cs framework in CLIL, which emphasizes the integration of content, communication, cognition, and culture to encourage both subject understanding and language development.
The textbook was used as one of the references for an intensive course called Global Englishes. The 10 university students who took this course had an interesting mix of levels. The students varied from lower-intermediate to upper-intermediate English learners, with one student who was a bilingual speaker of English and Japanese. The textbook became a practical guide for students learning Global Englishes that are appropriate to the course’s level. In addition to the discussion of the historical roots of English, there were useful phrases that helped students prepare for their speaking output in the course.
Using What are Global Englishes? as a course material provided students with a new awareness of English varieties. The students mentioned that these areas were not addressed in their prior English-medium classes. Furthermore, the students’ language proficiency improved through the use of communicative and academic phrases from the textbook. The integration of both content learning and language learning allows learners to develop subject knowledge through meaningful language use and communicative practice, even when encountering unfamiliar topics (Llinares & Nashaat-Sobhy, 2023).
Although the textbook cultivates students’ awareness of English varieties and their historical global spread, providing explanations of the cultural and pragmatic nuances of key phrases would enhance comprehension of both language and context. Additionally, including listening materials featuring speakers of diverse Englishes would provide learners with greater exposure to linguistic variation, aligning with the textbook’s goal of introducing Global Englishes.
Overall, What are Global Englishes? is a rigorously researched resource that demonstrates both linguistic accuracy and cultural sensitivity. From my perspective as a teacher from a country where a localized variety of English is used, I found the content to be culturally appropriate and pedagogically relevant, providing a valuable tool for CLIL-based and Global Englishes courses. The textbook’s careful balance of theory, practical examples, and communicative activities makes it highly suitable for fostering both content knowledge and language development in diverse student groups.
References
Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (1983). Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy. TESOL Quarterly, 17(4), 553–573. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586613
Coyle, D. (2007). Content and language integrated learning: Towards a connected research agenda for CLIL pedagogies. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 10(5), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.2167/beb459.0
Llinares, A., & Nashaat-Sobhy, N. (2023). CLIL students’ academic language performance on a non-curricular topic: A comparison between high-exposure and low-exposure groups. English Teaching & Learning, 47(3), 337–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-023-00151-y
