Jennifer Jenkins,
FAcSS The Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) is an award granted by the Academy of Social Sciences to leading academics, policy-makers, and practitioners of the social sciences.
Fellows were previously known as Academicians and used the ...
is a British
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
and academic. She is Chair Professor of
Global Englishes at the
University of Southampton
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public research university
, established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...
. She is a leading figure in the study of English as a
Lingua Franca (ELF), and is an expert on communication in English between non-native speakers. This is a relatively new field of study and her opinions are sometimes seen as controversial. Her interests include attitudes to the international range of "Englishes", English as a lingua franca in higher education, and the implications of ELF for ways of teaching English as a foreign language. She has published and lectured widely and is a founder editor of the ''Journal of English as a Lingua Franca''.
Education and early career
She studied English language, literature, linguistics, Old English and Icelandic at the universities of
Leicester and
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and spent a few years as a teacher of
English as a foreign language
English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...
before starting to train other teachers.
[
]
Career
In 1992 she began teaching at King's College London and in 1995 completed her PhD at the Institute of Education
IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society (IOE) is the education school of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties. Prior to ...
, University College, London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = Â ...
with a thesis on ''Variation in Phonological Error in Interlanguage Talk'', discussing a continuing research interest of hers: "English pronunciation within an international framework".[ She remained at King's College until 2007 where she designed and directed the MA in English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics.][Southampton University biography: Professor Jennifer Jenkins BA, DipTEFLA, PhD, FAcSS]
/ref> While there, she introduced a fast-track MA for TESOL students.
When Jenkins' book ''Phonology Of English As An International Language'' was published in 2000 it was seen as potentially controversial[Global English debate, ''Guardian'', 18 April 2001]
/ref> and stimulated debate about the prevailing emphasis on "correct" accents in teaching English as a foreign language, and Jenkins' idea of the Lingua Franca Core
The Lingua Franca Core (LFC) is a selection of pronunciation features of the English language recommended as a basis in teaching of English as a lingua franca. It was proposed by linguist Jennifer Jenkins in her 2000 book ''The Phonology of Engl ...
. This is a core list of pronunciation features which ELF speakers need to master in order to be mutually intelligible. Jenkins' idea that English is "an international language and as such no longer the preserve of its native speakers" has been seen as a challenge to teachers of English.
In 2007 Jenkins was appointed to the Chair of Global Englishes at Southampton University
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public research university
, established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...
and in May 2012 launched the Centre for Global Englishes there, of which she is the director. In her lecture inaugurating the Centre she said that UK universities describe themselves as international, and yet they expect overseas students to conform to UK norms of pronunciation, idiom etc. Earlier the same year, Jenkins co-founded the ''Journal of English as a Lingua Franca'' which aims to respond to the "unprecedented use of English as an international lingua franca, as both consequence and driving force of globalization". She has several other editorial roles.
Honours
In September 2014, Jenkins was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences The Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) is an award granted by the Academy of Social Sciences to leading academics, policy-makers, and practitioners of the social sciences.
Fellows were previously known as Academicians and used the ...
.
Select bibliography
* ''The phonology of English as an international language: new models, new norms, new goals'', OUP 2000
* ''English as a Lingua Franca: attitude and identity'', OUP 2007
* ''World Englishes: a resource book for students'', Routledge 2009
* ''Global Englishes in Asian Contexts: Current and Future Debates'' - Murata, Kumiko and Jenkins, Jennifer (eds.), Basingstoke 2009
* ''Latest trends in ELF research'' - Archibald, Alasdair, Cogo, Alessia and Jenkins, Jennifer (eds.), Newcastle 2011
* ''English as a Lingua Franca in the international university: the politics of academic English language policy'', Abingdon 2013
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Jennifer
Living people
Women linguists
1950 births
Linguists from the United Kingdom
Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences
Academics of King's College London
Academics of the University of Southampton