A complete introduction to the theoretical nature and practical implications of English used as a lingua franca. Explore the theories and principles of English as a Lingua Franca with leading expert Barbara Seidlhofer

In the past 15 years, English as a lingua franca (ELF) has evolved from a ‘niche topic’ of a relatively small group of specialists to a highly productive research area that now has a firm place on the map of linguistics. Looking back (as well as forward), this edited volume addresses perspectives and prospects of ELF in connection with other areas of linguistics. It is the first volume that brings together ELF scholars with experts from a wide range of areas in linguistics (such as corpus linguistics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, language pedagogy, language policy, intercultural communication). Adopting an inter-/transdisciplinary approach, the book traces the impact that discussions about ELF have had – or may have – beyond the study of ELF as such: for the conceptualization, description, methodology, pedagogy and politics of ‘English’. As the book combines external perspectives on ELF, provided by well-known scholars in diverse fields, with a smaller number of internal perspectives provided by prominent ELF scholars, it will be of interest not only to students and researchers interested in ELF, but also to students and scholars in Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics and Intercultural Communication.

There have been considerable recent demographic shifts in the use of English worldwide. English is now undoubtedly (and particularly) an international lingua franca, a lingua mundi. The sociolinguistic reality of English language use worldwide, and its implications, continue to be hotly contested. This is one of the first books to provide a detailed and comprehensive account of recent empirical findings in the field of English as a lingua franca (ELF). Cogo and Dewey analyze and interpret their own large corpus of naturally occurring spoken interactions and focus on identifying innovative developments in the pragmatics and lexicogrammar of speakers engaged in ELF talk. Cogo and Dewey's work makes a substantial contribution to the emerging field of empirical ELF studies. As well as this practical focus, this book looks at both pragmatic and lexicogrammatical issues and highlights their interrelationship. In showcasing the underlying processes involved in the emergence of innovative patterns of language use, this book will be of great interest to advanced students and academics working in applied linguistics, ELF, sociolinguistics, and corpus linguistics.

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. Including 47 state-of-the art chapters from leading international scholars, the handbook covers key concepts, regional spread, linguistic features and communication processes, domains and functions, ELF in academia, ELF and pedagogy and future trends. This handbook is key reading for all those engaged in the study and research of English as a lingua franca and world/global Englishes more broadly, within English language, applied linguistics, and education.

This book explores the interfaces of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogy. It presents the theoretical aspects of ELF, discusses issues and challenges that ELF raises for the EFL classroom, and demonstrates how EFL practitioners can make use of ELF theorizing for classroom instruction, teacher education, developing language learning materials, policymaking and testing and assessment. Accounts of innovative and practical pedagogical practices and researchers’ insights from diverse geographical, cultural and institutional contexts will inform and inspire EFL practitioners to reconsider their practices and adopt new techniques in order to meet their learners’ diverse communicative needs in international contexts.

The study of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has grown considerably in the last decades, and a wide number of issues related to this field have been addressed through a variety of lenses. These range from the changes occurring in spoken English, to the much-debated notion of the native-speaker; from the threat that English represents for minority languages, to the metadiscourse(s) contributing to the myth of English as a language equally accessible to speakers of all nationalities. Adopting different perspectives and positions, the articles in this special issue of The Interpreter and Translator Trainer all demonstrate that ELF poses many challenges to the teaching of translation and that, while there are no simple and ready-made solutions, such challenges need to be taken on board to fill the current gap between translation pedagogy and translation practice. The volume is intended as a starting point to encourage educators to rethink their approach to translation pedagogy by envisaging tools and practices that can contribute to preparing students to become professional translators of ELF and reflective practitioners who are aware of the centrality of translation in the digital age.

The aim of this edited volume is to examine how current theories and principles underlying English as a Lingua Franca studies contribute to research on present pedagogical practices in ELF contexts. The book provides useful insights into pedagogical practices in different ELF settings and knowledge on the pedagogy-policy relationship in terms of ELF.

This edited book examines the phenomenon of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in the Japanese context, using multilingualism as a lens through which to explore language practices and attitudes in what is traditionally viewed as a monolingual, monocultural setting. The authors cover a broad spectrum of topics within this theme, including language education policies, the nature of ELF communication in both academic and business settings, users’ and learners’ perceptions of ELF, and the pedagogy to foster ELF-oriented attitudes. Teaching and learning practices are reconsidered from ELF and multilingual perspectives, shifting the focus from the conformity to native-speaker norms to ELF users’ creative use of multilingual resources. This book is a key resource for advancing ELF study and research in Japan, and it will also be of interest to students and scholars studying multilingualism and World Englishes in other global contexts.

There have been noticeable demographic changes recently in the use of English around the world. English as a medium of communication is now the contact language of native speakers from many diverse speech communities who interact with each other in multilingual contexts. The use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) and its implications has become a hot topic in applied linguistics and English studies. Communicating Strategically in English as a Lingua Franca reflects the growing interest in achieving communicative effectiveness in ELF situations and provides a comprehensive account of recent empirical findings in the field of ELF. It analyzes and interprets the author's own large corpus of naturally occurring spoken interactions and focuses on identifying innovative employments in the communicative strategies and pragmatics of speakers involved in ELF interactions. In doing so, this book makes a considerable contribution to the growing field of empirical studies in ELF. It explores the usage of pragmatic strategies and highlights their significant role in communicative effectiveness in ELF interactions. In showing the processes of classifying communication strategies involved in the identification of newly observed communication strategies, this book will be of great interest to English linguists, applied linguists, graduate and undergraduate students of English, English Language Teaching material developers and teachers of English.

This volume examines the role of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in education in Europe. Following the implementation of the Bologna process, English has assumed a central role in European education offering institutions the opportunity to cater to the needs of an internationalized student body and increase their competitiveness. On the other hand, the increased use of ELF has become an issue of concern, often perceived as a threat to other languages, tilting the scale towards linguistic inequality and stressing the urgent need for the development of new language policies. Both aspects of ELF are at the center of discussion in the proposed volume, which consists of a variety of papers examining ELF in different parts of Europe (Eastern, Central and Western) and different levels of education. The volume makes a substantial contribution to the lively and controversial debate about what is recognized as a central topical concern of language education policy in Europe and beyond.