Teaching English academic writing as intercultural communication

Abstract Research developments in world Englishes have advanced our understanding of the plurality of Englishes, problematizing the historical and ongoing privilegization of Inner Circle Englishes. Studies have shown how monolithic conceptions of English can limit students’ exposure to varieties of English and hinder language learning. This issue is particularly salient in higher education contexts where “standard” academic English is largely perceived as the ultimate learning goal. This narrow perspective of English undervalues the rich linguistic and cultural resources of multilingual students and their efforts to use such resources in navigating the intercultural realities of English academic settings. Drawing on data from an undergraduate English academic writing course where a group of Chinese students learned to paraphrase and write with sources, we demonstrate the intercultural nature of their linguistic choices for paraphrasing tasks, highlighting the critical need to recognize the legitimacy of multilingual students as users of world Englishes.