Shirley E. Faulkner-Springfield

Entisar Elsherif

When did you begin speaking English?

Well, let me talk about when I started learning English because I can’t recall exactly when I started speaking in English.  English is the third foreign language I learned at the American school in Ankara, Turkey.  Before I started learning English, I was able to understand Italian and use spoken and written Turkish fluently, which is what made my dad enroll me in the American school in Ankara.  I’m not sure about my age, but I think I was ten when I started learning English.  I was fascinated and interested in languages because I travelled a lot with dad. I still remember how I used to wish to be able to speak in all the languages around the world. Now, I hear this same wish from my daughter every time we talk about languages. 

So from the age of ten until I went to the United Kingdom, I spoke English to learn it at school, to teach it when I became an English language teacher, and to communicate with others when I’m abroad.  I considered myself a proficient English language speaker after I began to communicate effectively with natives and after I entered my master’s program in Applied Linguistists and TESOL at Newcastle University at Newcastle upon Tyne/UK.

Has your acquisition of the English language defined or solidified your role as a writer?

I was a proficient writer in Arabic, and I published in Libyan newspapers and magazines.  However, since I was a child, my dream was to publish a novel or a short story collection.

When I became involved with the academic world, I started to think more profoundly about the purpose of my writing and to evaluate what I had already written.  Therefore, I immersed myself in the values and purposes of publishing.

An ability to write in English is a privilege because it affords me opportunities to discuss academic scholarship that is written in English, to show my stance on the subject, and to share my views and feelings with a wider audience.  That was the main reason I published my narrative:  I wanted other second language writers who thought their writing might not be valued as a native text to see the value of writing in English and how writing touches our hearts and affects our identities.

How long have you taught English and where?

I have taught English for about twenty-one years.  I taught English language courses at many Libyan secondary schools for about seventeen years. Then, after getting my master’s degree , I taught English language courses and English language teacher preparation courses at the Faculty of Education English Department at University of Tripoli until I became the recipient of a scholarship that allowed me to study in the United States.

How do you teach students about their own culture “and the English culture” while simultaneously helping them
value their own culture and first language?

Many textbooks focus on English culture.  So I assign students to talk about their cultures. For instance, when I taught my students how to present, I ask them to present topics related to their culture and the Libyan values.  So in this way, they were not only learning about the culture of the language they are learning, but also learning to talk about their culture.  We used to discuss cultural similarities and differences and what they like and don’t like in both of the cultures.

Did any of your students resist learning English?  Why?

In the university, no.  Before I come here, I used to teach in the English Department at the Faculty of Education.  So students enrolled in our program because they wanted to become English language teachers.

However, when I taught at secondary schools, I encountered some difficulty since some students do not like learning languages and are not motivated.   I used to tell them the benefits of learning a language to motivate them.  So I reminded them about how they would be able to speak with others and how they might get the chance to study abroad and how the classes they were taking would be helpful.

Do you promote multilingualism in your classrooms?  How (oral and/or written discourse)?

Yes, of course, but under my control because English is only used in class.  Although many students might be using English through various sources of media, they still don’t use it in their actual face-to-face interactions outside class.  So I believe that Arabic can only be used in activities or tasks that promote language learning and use.

Has your acquisition of the English language complicated your life?

Well, personally, I think my language empowered me, especially after I came here and started reading various books and writing about my experiences.
 
However, there was a time when I felt that I was discriminated against because of my choice of English as a major.  I guess many Libyans who chose English or French have felt this way at a certain time.  This was when Qaddafi’s regime banned teaching or using and teaching English or French, considering them “the enemies’ languages.”  The English language was eradicated for a decade to reduce foreign influences since the two languages are regarded as a form of obnoxious colonialism.   As a result, many teachers and professors of those two majors lost their jobs and had to teach other subjects, and students lost the opportunity to learn the languages.
 
For me, I always questioned their motives and could not understand their justifications since in our religion our prophet encouraged us to learn foreign languages, even if they are “the enemies’ languages,” as the regime considered them.  I could not get why Qaddafi’s regime banned languages that are used all over the world for not only communication purposes but also in economic and political meetings.

Has your acquisition of the English language contributed to your success as an educator in your home institution of higher education?

Yes, of course.

Why?

I work as an English language teacher-educator which means I have to be a proficient language user to be able to assist my students who are planning to become English language teachers.

How? 

My language gave me the opportunity to learn about current approaches to teaching English as well as exposure to English teacher preparation models and approaches.  This knowledge teaches me how to help my students become proficient language users and how to teach English effectively.

How is your graduate program preparing you to teach in Libya?

Since the first time I saw the program, while I was searching for programs to choose when I was in Libya, I fell in love with the program. To be honest, what I found in the program is beyond my expectation. The program is unique in that it is a combination of courses that prepare us to become efficient writing teachers and active TESOL scholars. It suited my interest since I consider myself as a writing teacher who specializes in TESOL. The program empowered me and provided me with great professional development opportunities. Our professors keep encouraging us to be teacher-scholars. They are willing to help and provide us with “comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and research-based understanding of first and second language literacy instruction.” There were many times when I wished I were in Libya implementing what I was learning in my classes. The program made me so motivated that I collaborated with two of my colleagues so that they could implement what I have learned into their courses.