Task Descriptions of Non-Western English - With Cross-Cultural Evaluations and Discussions of Language Choice

Many English tests/textbooks based on Western culture are often irrelevant or inappropriate for non-Western regions, yet English instruction in such regions should be based on real world English use. Therefore, this research describes 1042 tasks of non-Western English in home regions of 29 English teachers from Uganda/Kenya, Sudan, the Arabian Gulf, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, India, and the Philippines. Cross-cultural evaluation via confirmation survey with member checks categorized the tasks of reading/writing/speaking/ listening in home/work/school/community domains. Analysis indicates tasks culturally appropriate in all but 1-2 regions and tasks problematic in more than half. Participant language choice was influenced by country/politics, religion, geography/climate, socioeconomics, region, strong emotions, and language policy in government/school. The task descriptions of non-Western English, cross-cultural evaluation and discussion of language choice are useful to professionals in task-based test/instructional materials development and world Englishes. This project also presents cross-cultural challenges of sociolinguistic research in the Middle East during the Iraq war.