Yet its present spread and use are so new that english as a lingua franca elf in. English as a lingua franca elf is the use of the english language as a common means of communication for speakers of different first languages. Keywordsenglish, global lingua franca, history, evolution, simultaneous. It is undeniably the only global lingua franca used in a wide variety of international domains, including international. However, the term that is now most widely used, and which i will be using here and in the following articles, is english as a lingua franca elf. Two case companies the article is based on findings from research into communication and language use. Lingua franca was firstly used during the middle age in mediterranean. In his article saraceni raises three main questions and a number of related debatable comments which i will quickly deal with in my final. Englishasalinguafranca barbaraseidlhofer in recent years, the term english as a lingua franca elf has emerged as a way of referring to communication in english between speakers with different. Jul 11, 2016 english is unchallenged as the lingua franca of europe.
English serving as the common language, or lingua franca. In the past, arabic became the lingua franca of the islamic world from ad 733 ad 1492. Research into english as a lingua franca has been slower to take off, despite pioneering work by a. Jul 28, 2015 in this paper, we focus on the role of language in crossborder mergers and acquisitions and explore how organization members language skills, or fluency, in the adopted lingua franca may impact their reactions to a merger. The fully competent speaker of english as a lingua franca. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Oxford university press is a department of the university of oxford. However, english as a lingua franca is sometimes used restrictively, to describe communication in english among people for whom english is not the native language e. In those places that they colonized, english became the langua. English has been successfully promoted, and has been eagerly adopted in the global linguistic marketplace phillipson, 1992, p.
Singapore people use english and mandarin as their official languages. Taking hong kong as an example, english is set to be the second language here, abilities of english usually come first than chinese. English for specific purposes, v24 n4 p401421 2005 the article is based on findings from research into communication and language use in two international corporations, both formed as a result of a merger between a swedish and a finnish company. Among the key themes covered are the development of english as a lingua franca among speakers for whom english is a common but not first language, the parallel development of english as a medium. The use of english as a global lingua franca elf raises challenges concerning how we understand the relationship between languages and cultures in intercultural communication. Identify and describe one historical factor that contributed to the worldwide use of english. The current lingua franca of international business is english. English became the lingua franca around wwii, but it was already used all through the british colonial empire, establishing it in north america and australia among others. English as a lingua franca the globalization of english. Although most contemporary linguists regard english as a lingua fra nca elf as a valuable means of international communication and worthwhile object of study, some have challenged its value and the idea that elf is a distinct variety of english at all.
Therefore, parents always place english a high place. Theorizing and teaching english examines the english used among nonnative speakers around the world today and its relation to english as a native language, as well as the implications for english. Free essays on advantages and disadvantages of english as a. Including 47 stateofthe art chapters from leading international scholars, the handbook covers key concepts, regional spread, linguistic. The rise of english as the global lingua franca is. Explaining employees reactions towards a crossborder merger. This is a reason why certain scholars view english as a lingua franca with concern, with one referring to it as a lingua frankensteinia phillipson 2008. Current perspectives on pedagogy for english as a lingua franca 2015 ed.
Keywords english, global lingua franca, history, evolution, simultaneous. The unprecedented global spread of english as a lingua franca is a recent phenomenon that poses a challenge to the ageold craft of interpreting. English as a lingua fra nca elf is the use of the english language as a common means of communication for speakers of different first languages. Culture and identity through english as a lingua franca 2017 vol. Moving on to elf, while english had served as a lingua franca in parts of asia e. Jun 20, 2017 a lingua franca is a common language used in international communication. Drawing on a qualitative study of the postmerger integration between a french and dutch airline where english was adopted as a lingua franca, we illustrate how language. English is the worlds lingua franca today, but how did it get to be that way. However, english as lingua franca contributes to learning challenges as a result of english language dominance in academia. The question leads to seek clarification as to benefits to whom.
It is intended to be a subject of reflection, as english is increasingly present in many educational settings, as the new common language. Such deliberation is not yet prevalent among academics and prac. For one thing, there is no longer the stigma attached to the timehonoured use of the term used to mean such marginal phenomena as contact language. Elf interaction can include native english speakers, but in most cases, it is a contact language between people who share neither a common native tongue. What are the benefits of english being a lingua franca. Lingua franca definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Lingua franca plays an enormous role in global communication. Will baker has taught english in asia and the united kingdom, and he is presently based at the university of southampton, where he teaches english language teaching and applied linguistics. Apart from the fact that english l2 speakers in english as a lingua franca elf interaction make little use of discourse markers cf.
How to teach english as a lingua franca elf british council. How and why did english supplant french as the worlds lingua. The merging companies investigated are from finland and sweden, having finnish and swedish as their respective native lan guages but using. Lingua francas of the world 661 the use of this particular form of french eventually died out, but not before having left its own name as its heritage for languages which are used in a similar fashion. Attitude and identity by jenkins, jennifer robert train. Analysis of the history, evolution of english and its impact on other languages leads us to sketch out a prospective future of it as a global lingua franca. English in europe, namely english as a lingua fra nca elf. The chapter suggests a different way of conceptualizing the language in european contexts and provides an updated overview of empirical research into its lingua franca use.
Throughout history, many languages have been lingua francas. Lingua franca nova lfn is an auxiliary constructed language created by dr c george boeree of shippensburg university, pennsylvania. The switch from scandinavian to english as the regional lingua franca is reflected in the fact that today, pannordic corporations increasingly choose english as their corporate language. English as an asian lingua franca and the multilingual model.
How to teach english as a lingua franca elf british. English as a lingua franca elt journal oxford academic. Barbara seidlhofer, english as a lingua fra nca, elt journal, volume 59, issue 4, october 2005, pages 339341. It has replaced french as the lingua franca of diplomacy since world war ii. The routledge handbook of english as a lingua franca elf provides an accessible, authoritative and comprehensive introduction to the main theories, concepts, contexts and applications of this rapidly developing field of study. The of english as a lingua franca semantic scholar. Request pdf english as a lingua franca in nordic corporate mergers. With english, of course, this is not the case when english is used as a lingua franca between l1 speakers of english and others. There are arguably benefits to the world in having a lingua franca. Katy simpson davies and laura patsko will deliver a british council seminar in glasgow on 26 november 20 on teaching pronunciation and listening in an elf context english as a lingua fra nca. English today is used far more by its nonnative speakers than native speakers. English for international communication between nonnative speakers.
The english as a foreign language lingua franca debate. A questionnaire was sent to representatives of each case company, focusing on language use, communication practices, and cultural views. Why the english language became the worlds lingua franca. Examples of a particular approach to elf research are provided in the form of two case studies. Andc on lingua franca staff and associates of the australian national dictionary centre often appear in the media. English as a lingua franca english as a lingua franca elf refers to the use of english between people who do not share the same first language leyland, 2011, p. Two case companies the article is based on findings from research into communication and language use in two international. Frankish language language used as a means of communication between populations speaking vernaculars that are not mutually intelligible. English as a lingua franca in nordic corporate mergers. Studies examining elf by combining it with elt, identity and accent, and concentrating on english teachers in finland, are practically nonexistent. English as a lingua franca apples journal of applied language.
Methodology case study methodology was used to examine the learning experiences of graduate students at vietnamesegerman university, with the institution as the case. Nov 12, 2017 the question leads to seek clarification as to benefits to whom. English is the current lingua franca of international business, science, technology and aviation. Definition and examples of a lingua franca thoughtco. Prescriptivists generally nonlinguists tend to dismiss elf as a kind of foreigner talk or what has been disparagingly called. World englishes and english as a lingua franca technical. Nigeria and kenya since they were colonized by the british from the sixteenth century on, the phenomenon in its modern sense was. Teachers are helping students to use english as a lingua franca. The article is based on findings from research into communication and language use in two international corporations, both formed as a result of a merger between a swedish and a finnish company. So the second benefit of teaching english as a lingua fra nca, rather than as a foreign language, would be to better prepare our learners to be successful users of the language in international, lingua franca contexts. Katy simpson davies and laura patsko will deliver a british council seminar in glasgow on 26 november 20 on teaching pronunciation and listening in an elf context english as a lingua franca. Lingua franca simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Three reasons why you need to start teaching english as a.
House 2002, not much is known about the exact function and meaning of the individual discourse markers in the l2 speakers speech, when they do use them. The phenomenon of english as a lingua franca elf has a number of implications for the practice of english language teaching. Pdf global english and english as a lingua franca elf. Language learning and use succeed through performance strategies, situational resources, and social negotiations in. For this reason, although she did not consider it problematic if other taiwanese people spoke english with a. A lingua franca is a language that is used widely outside the country where it is spoken as a native language.
English as a lingua franca nowadays, english is the most widely used lingua franca in international communication. Preservice teacher education, english as a lingua franca, english language teaching introduction world englishes, elf and standard english the rapid spread of english as the language of communication has inevitably fostered a big controversy about the status of english and the terms used to define different conceptions about it. Note that i normally use the term native english speaker to refer to both inner and outer circle speakers. In practice, this language choice means that corporate level documentation and all reporting is done in english, and communication between different. In the past, arabic became the lingua franca of the islamic world from ad 733 ad 1492, which at a certain point spread from the. The rise of english in diplomacy began in 1919, in the aftermath of world war i, when the. Elf is also defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to nativespeaker norms whereas english as a second or foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and gives prominence to. In her view, english has become a lingua franca elf in a special sense. Englishasalinguafranca barbaraseidlhofer in recent years, the term english as a lingua fra nca elf has emerged as a way of referring to communication in english between speakers with different. In the discussion below, i will outline a research agenda for english as a lingua franca elf in business communication of relevance for scholars and. From 1999 to 2011 the abc radio national program lingua franca provided an excellent forum for us to discuss research, publications, and ideas about australian english, dictionaries, and language in. English is a west germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval england and is now a global lingua franca. There are, however, other factors behind the pervasiveness of english as a lingua franca. Pdf english as a lingua franca used at international meetings.
What little research has so far been undertaken has concentrated on the effects of nonnative source. Long before, english has already been established as the worlds lingua franca. English as a lingua franca speakers not learners anna mauranen university of. British linguist jennifer jenkins points out that elf is not a new phenomenon. The user of english as a lingua franca may be either native or nonnative is typically bi or multilingual, or bidialectal an englishusing bilingual alptekin, 2005 is likely to be skilled in communicative and comprehension strategies. English as a lingua franca from the classroom to the classroom. It has even been suggested that in some countries of northern europe it has become a second rather than a foreign language. Pdf teaching the pronunciation of english as a lingua. Aside from the facts stated above, below are some even more reasons why english became the worlds lingua franca. The term was first used during the middle ages to describe a french and italianbased jargon, or pidgin, that was developed by. A lingua franca is a language which is used as a means of communication among people who have no native language in common. Research into english as a lingua fra nca has been slower to take off, despite pioneering work by a. English as a lingua franca pros and cons essay example.
Teachers are helping students to use english as a lingua fra nca. It furthers the universitys objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. In this complex scenario, it is also apparent that as english as a lingua franca elf variations emerge and gain in influence see seidlhofer 2011, the identity of english will change and become itself a reflection of a plurilingual reality in which speakers typically have at their disposal a repertoire of different languages. Elf is also defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to nativespeaker norms whereas english as a second or foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and. English as a lingua franca from the classroom to the classroom jennifer jenkins english has served as a means of communication among speakers of different first languages i. In the dynamic contexts of elf this relationship needs to be viewed as situated and emergent entailing a new approach to understanding intercultural competence in. Pdf the phenomenon of english as a lingua franca elf has. The user of english as a lingua franca may be either native or nonnative is typically bi or multilingual, or bidialectal an english using bilingual alptekin, 2005 is likely to be skilled in communicative and comprehension strategies.
The british empire colonized a significant portion of the earth. At its simplest, elf is a way of referring to communication in english between speakers who have different first languages. In this paper i wish to respond to the article published in et 94 by saraceni while at the same time providing some clarifications concerning the concept of english as a lingua franca henceforth elf. The rise of english in diplomacy began in 1919, after world war i, when the treaty of versailles was written in english as well as in french. Lingua franca english, multilingual communities, and language. English as a lingua franca in wider networking 2014 vol. This is one of the few occasions you will find an education permanente article in english. The routledge handbook of english as a lingua franca. The center for english as a lingua franca celf, an initiative of a private university in tokyo, was founded with serious consideration given to the pedagogical implications of the widespread use of english as a lingua franca elf. English is and will be the lingua franca of europe in spite. This, we believe, will mean coming to terms with the kinds of language forms and skills involved in the use of european elf english as a lingua franca, and a corresponding move away from.
French, greek, portuguese and latin have all been major lingua franca at some point in history. Since roughly only one out of every four users of english in the world is a native speaker of the language crystal 2003. This dictionary is a computergenerated index to the english words and phrases listed in the master. The strongest reason behind this prevalence is related to the economic preeminence of the united states of america u. His current research interests are language and culture, intercultural communication, intercultural awareness, and english as a lingua franca or global. English, she says, has served as a lingua franca in the past, and continues to do so nowadays, in many of the countries that were colonized by the british from the late sixteenth century on often known collectively as the outer circle following kachru 1985, such as india and singapore. The second drawback of english being the international lingua franca is that the dominance of the english language proposes a threat to our own language. Aside from the fact that it can be easy to learn, it is widely spoken by a lot of people. It started with the british empire and the colonization of america.
A lingua franca is a language or way of communicating which is used between people who do. A lingua franca pronounced lingwa franka is a language or mixture of languages used as a medium of communication by people whose native languages are different. English as an asian lingua franca and the multilingual. Lingua franca definition and meaning collins english.
The function of english as a lingua franca for communication needs rethinking in the teaching of english as a foreign language classroom as a consequence of globalisation. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or. English is the most widely used language in the world, thus becoming the worlds lingua franca. The present contribution is an empirical study carried out in an italian university environment which aims to show how teachers. Pdf the paper deals with the use of english as a lingua franca.
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