Currently standard English continues in the era of artificial intelligence (AI): Indonesian EFL teachers’ voices on the identity and variety of English
Abstract
Despite increasing scholarly attention to World Englishes and English as a global language, empirical research examining how EFL teachers reconcile these perspectives with the continued dominance of Standard English remains insufficient, particularly in expanding-circle contexts. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to investigate how Indonesian EFL teachers negotiate pedagogical practices, professional identity, and the perceived relevance of Standard English within increasingly globalized educational settings. Adopting a sequential mixed-methods design, the study involved 120 in-service EFL teachers drawn from diverse secondary and tertiary institutions across Indonesia. Quantitative data were obtained through a structured questionnaire consisting of 36 Likert-scale items measuring beliefs, instructional strategies, and awareness of World Englishes, while qualitative data were generated through semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected teachers to capture in-depth reflections on classroom practices and identity negotiation. The findings indicate that Standard English continues to function as a primary pedagogical reference due to institutional demands, assessment norms, and concerns for linguistic accuracy. At the same time, teachers demonstrate growing recognition of the communicative, intercultural, and sociolinguistic value of World Englishes, leading to ongoing negotiation between established norms and global language realities. These outcomes suggest the necessity of professional development frameworks that support reflective identity construction, critical language awareness, and pedagogical flexibility, enabling teachers to balance standard-oriented instruction with the demands of global English use
References
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Ivankova, N. V., Creswell, J. W., & Stick, S. L. (2006). Using mixed-methods sequential explanatory design: From theory to practice. Field Methods, 18(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05282260
Jenkins, J. (2007). English as a lingua franca: Attitude and identity. Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, J. (2015). Repositioning English and multilingualism in English as a Lingua Franca. Englishes in Practice, 2(3), 49–85. https://doi.org/10.1515/eip-2015-0003
Kim, S. (2024a). English as a lingua franca in Japan: Multilingual postgraduate students’ attitudes towards English accents. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(2), 536–550. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.1909053
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Kusumaningputri, R. (2024). Negotiating voices in English as a lingua franca: Indonesian multilingual identity in English digital interactions. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(10), 4554–4571. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2173758
Lai, M. L. (2020). “English as a lingua franca”: Rhetoric or reality? attitudes of prospective English teachers in post-colonial Hong Kong. Asian Studies Review, 44(3), 494–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2019.1693977
Le, V. H. H., Prabjandee, D., & Kewara, P. (2024). Virtual reality: A virtual world to realize English as a lingua franca and enhance students’ self–efficacy. Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 25(2), 152–172. https://callej.org/index.php/journal/article/view/449
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Leyi, W. (2020). World Englishes (WE) and English as lingua franca (ELF): Implications for English teaching and learning. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 10(5), 389–393. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2020.10.5.1395
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Saeedi, Z., Tajeddin, Z., & Tadayon, F. (2024). Assessment principles of English as a lingua franca: Their realization in low-stakes local English tests in Iran. International Journal of Language Testing, 14(2), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijlt.2023.416485.1289
Saeedi, Z., Tajeddin, Z., & Tadayon, F. (2025). Assessment of English as a lingua franca and its principles: A research synthesis. International Journal of TESOL Studies. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.250711
Sarifa, N. (2020). Enhancing EFL learners’ English proficiency and intelligence by implementing the Eclectic method of language teaching. Arab World English Journal, 11(1), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no1.9
Sifakis, N. C. (2019). ELF awareness in English language teaching: Principles and processes. Applied Linguistics, 40(2), 288–306. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amx034
Taglialatela, A. (2021). Authenticity and awareness of English as a lingua franca in English language classrooms. Glottodidactica, 48(1), 103–121. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4774235
Tsang, A. (2019). Reconceptualizing speaking, listening, and pronunciation: Glocalizing TESOL in the contexts of world Englishes and English as a lingua franca. TESOL Quarterly, 53(2), 580–588. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.504
Wolf, M. K., Bailey, A. L., Ballard, L., Wang, Y., & Pogossian, A. (2023). Unpacking the language demands in academic content and English language proficiency standards for English learners. International Multilingual Research Journal, 17(1), 68–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2022.2116221
Yu, X., & Liu, C. (2022). Teaching English as a lingua franca in China. English Today, 38(3), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078421000018
Alharbi, S. H. (2021). The dynamics of individual differences in teaching/learning of English as a second/foreign language. International Journal of Linguistics, 13(6), 47. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v13i6.19316
Bayyurt, Y., & Dewey, M. (2020). Locating ELF in ELT. ELT Journal, 74(4), 369–376. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccaa048
Bierbaumer, L. (2021). A comparison of spoken and signed lingua franca communication: the case of English as a lingua franca (ELF) and International Sign (IS). Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 10(2), 183–208. https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2021-2058
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2025). Reporting guidelines for qualitative research: A values-based approach. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 22(2), 399–438. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2024.2382244
Chen, Y., Ren, W., & Lin, C.-Y. (2020). English as a lingua franca: From theory to practice. Language Teaching, 53(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444819000302
Cheng, L., Im, G.-H., & Jabeen, R. (2021). Whose English(es) are we assessing and by whom? In Challenges in Language Testing Around the World (pp. 169–179). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4232-3_12
Cogo, A., Fang, F., Kordia, S., Sifakis, N., & Siqueira, S. (2021). Developing ELF research for critical language education. AILA Review, 34(2), 187–211. https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.21007.cog
Creswell, J. W., Fetters, M. D., & Ivankova, N. V. (2004). Designing a mixed methods study in primary care. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2(1), 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.104
Deshors, S. C. (2020). English as a lingua franca: A random forests approach to particle placement in multi‐speaker interactions. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 30(2), 214–231. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12275
Dewi, O. T. S., & Slamet, J. (2025). Formative ELF-based assessment of spoken communication via learning management system in a culturally diverse classroom. Discover Education, 4(1), 516. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00970-0
Fisher, L., Evans, M., Forbes, K., Gayton, A., & Liu, Y. (2020). Participative multilingual identity construction in the languages classroom: a multi-theoretical conceptualisation. International Journal of Multilingualism, 17(4), 448–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2018.1524896
Grazzi, E. (2024). Bridging the gap between EFL and ELF through sociocultural theory. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 46, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2024.46.09
Guerra, L., Cavalheiro, L., Pereira, R., Kurt, Y., Oztekin, E., Candan, E., & Bayyurt, Y. (2022). Representations of the English as a lingua franca framework: Identifying ELF-aware activities in Portuguese and Turkish coursebooks. RELC Journal, 53(1), 134–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220935478
Güney, Ö., & Tullock, B. (2025). Promoting linguistic and cultural diversity through global Englishes teacher education: Classroom practices, challenges, and rewards. Language and Education, 39(4), 840–863. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2024.2422016
Indarti, D., & Manara, C. (2025). Attitudes toward language and language choice in regional intermarriage families: A case study in Tangerang, Banten. Studies in English Language and Education, 12(1), 426–441. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v12i1.36436
Irawan, A. M., Iskandar, I., Afdal, Z., Haris, A. M. A., & Warsidi, W. (2025). The invasion of globalization to higher education: The critical discourse study of emancipated learning policy. Studies in English Language and Education, 12(3), 1204–1217. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v12i3.35029
Irgin, P. (2025). Raising L2 readers’ awareness of English as a Lingua Franca in a language classroom. Language Awareness, 34(2), 257–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2024.2355086
Ivankova, N. V., Creswell, J. W., & Stick, S. L. (2006). Using mixed-methods sequential explanatory design: From theory to practice. Field Methods, 18(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05282260
Jenkins, J. (2007). English as a lingua franca: Attitude and identity. Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, J. (2015). Repositioning English and multilingualism in English as a Lingua Franca. Englishes in Practice, 2(3), 49–85. https://doi.org/10.1515/eip-2015-0003
Kim, S. (2024a). English as a lingua franca in Japan: Multilingual postgraduate students’ attitudes towards English accents. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(2), 536–550. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.1909053
Kim, S. (2024b). English as a lingua franca in Japan: Multilingual postgraduate students’ attitudes towards English accents. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(2), 536–550. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.1909053
Kıyak, Ö. A. (2021). English language teachers’ perceptions of world Englishes and English as a lingua franca. The Literacy Trek, 7(2), 37–64. https://doi.org/10.47216/literacytrek.904635
Kohn, K. (2022). Focus on the speaker-learner in English as a global language: Agency and satisfaction. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language Journal--TESL-EJ, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.26103a2
Kusumaningputri, R. (2024). Negotiating voices in English as a lingua franca: Indonesian multilingual identity in English digital interactions. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(10), 4554–4571. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2173758
Lai, M. L. (2020). “English as a lingua franca”: Rhetoric or reality? attitudes of prospective English teachers in post-colonial Hong Kong. Asian Studies Review, 44(3), 494–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2019.1693977
Le, V. H. H., Prabjandee, D., & Kewara, P. (2024). Virtual reality: A virtual world to realize English as a lingua franca and enhance students’ self–efficacy. Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 25(2), 152–172. https://callej.org/index.php/journal/article/view/449
Lee, S., Jeon, J., & Choe, H. (2025). Enhancing pre‐service teachers’ global Englishes awareness with technology: A focus on
Lewis, C. (2022, September 19). The role of lexical stress in English as a lingua franca in Southeast Asia. Virtual PSLLT. https://doi.org/10.31274/psllt.13338
Leyi, W. (2020). World Englishes (WE) and English as lingua franca (ELF): Implications for English teaching and learning. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 10(5), 389–393. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2020.10.5.1395
Navarro, F., Lillis, T., Donahue, T., Curry, M. J., Reyes, N. Á., Gustafsson, M., Zavala, V., Lauría, D., Lukin, A., McKinney, C., Feng, H., & Motta-Roth, D. (2022). Rethinking English as a lingua franca in scientific-academic contexts: A position statement. Journal of English for Research Publication Purposes, 3(1), 143–153. https://doi.org/10.1075/jerpp.21012.nav
Ralston, M. (2024). Virtual English as a lingua franca: Investigating the discourse of digital exchanges and understanding technology-enhanced learning. Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.52214/salt.v24i1.12870
Sabbah‐Taylor, A., & Jenks, C. J. (2024). Okay in intercultural lingua franca interactions between Chinese and British postgraduate students. World Englishes. https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12715
Saeedi, Z., Tajeddin, Z., & Tadayon, F. (2024). Assessment principles of English as a lingua franca: Their realization in low-stakes local English tests in Iran. International Journal of Language Testing, 14(2), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijlt.2023.416485.1289
Saeedi, Z., Tajeddin, Z., & Tadayon, F. (2025). Assessment of English as a lingua franca and its principles: A research synthesis. International Journal of TESOL Studies. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.250711
Sarifa, N. (2020). Enhancing EFL learners’ English proficiency and intelligence by implementing the Eclectic method of language teaching. Arab World English Journal, 11(1), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no1.9
Sifakis, N. C. (2019). ELF awareness in English language teaching: Principles and processes. Applied Linguistics, 40(2), 288–306. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amx034
Taglialatela, A. (2021). Authenticity and awareness of English as a lingua franca in English language classrooms. Glottodidactica, 48(1), 103–121. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4774235
Tsang, A. (2019). Reconceptualizing speaking, listening, and pronunciation: Glocalizing TESOL in the contexts of world Englishes and English as a lingua franca. TESOL Quarterly, 53(2), 580–588. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.504
Wolf, M. K., Bailey, A. L., Ballard, L., Wang, Y., & Pogossian, A. (2023). Unpacking the language demands in academic content and English language proficiency standards for English learners. International Multilingual Research Journal, 17(1), 68–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2022.2116221
Yu, X., & Liu, C. (2022). Teaching English as a lingua franca in China. English Today, 38(3), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078421000018
Authors
Syakur, A., Fikri, M. H., & Rahmania, I. (2026). Currently standard English continues in the era of artificial intelligence (AI): Indonesian EFL teachers’ voices on the identity and variety of English. Al-Fikru : Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Sains, 7(1), 40–55. https://doi.org/10.55210/al-fikru.v7i1.2466
Copyright (c) 2026 Abd. Syakur, Moh. Hilman Fikri, Ika Rahmania
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.