ABSTRACT
Despite the fact that the English language, as the most widely spoken lingua franca today, shows a wide range of variation, English language teaching is still dominated by the idea of teaching English as a ‘foreign’ language, often following a ‘native-speaker’ model. One important factor which has been identified for innovation in teaching is teachers' cognitions about different aspects of their work. Language learning biographies are used in this study as a window to teacher students’ cognitions and also as a tool to support their reflection on their experiences. The findings resonate with earlier research on cognitions about Englishes in showing that students tend to orient toward ‘native speakers’ and standard inner-circle varieties, but they provide more details about these cognitions as well as several indications of less native-speaker-centered views. The chapter suggests ways in which teacher students’ experiences and views can be used in teacher education to serve as personalized opportunities for reflection on their own cognitions in the light of new knowledge.
