Is English the world’s lingua franca or the language of the enemy? Choice and age factors in foreign language policymaking in Iran

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Mazlum
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Age Factors ◽  
Lingua Franca

scholarly journals English as a Lingua Franca Approach: Implications and Limitations in Saudi English as a Foreign Language Classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 96-104
Author(s):  
Samar Alharbi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
The World ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Foreign Language Classrooms ◽  
Global Language

English language considers a global language spoken by a majority of people around the world. It is a language used mainly for communication, trades and study purposes. This widespread of English language being wildly spoken lead to different varieties of English as a lingua franca (ELF) means that non native speakers of English still be able to communicate with each other. Using ELF as a legitimate variety of English in language classrooms is questioned by some researchers. This paper will provide an overview of the concept of ELF. It will also present implications and limitations of using ELF in Saudi English as foreign language classrooms.

scholarly journals “If English Was Good Enough for Jesus, It’s Good Enough for Me”

Paideusis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34
Author(s):  
Peter Kovacs
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
World War ◽  
Philosophical Discussion ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
The World ◽  
Harmful Effects

Since the end of World War II, English has become the virtual lingua franca of the planet. However, this development carries significant ethical and educational questions: What are the consequences of the worldwide dominance of the English language? How has it affected and how will it affect the fortunes of other languages? What can and should we as educators to do to minimize or eliminate the harmful effects on some of the endangered languages of the world? This paper will invite educators into a philosophical discussion of the ethical complexities of teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language.

Language, religion, and communication

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Saad Al Shlowiy
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Geographic Factors ◽  
Religious Rituals ◽  
Universal Language ◽  
The World ◽  
Historical Relationship ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Asian Pacific

Abstract The Arabic language is associated with Islam and is the language of the Holy Qur’an, which Muslims believe to be God’s words. Due to religious, educational, socio-cultural, and geographic factors, Qur’anic Arabic is revered by many Muslims in the Asian Pacific countries, who use the language to perform religious rituals. Those Muslims use the language as an Islamic lingua franca to communicate with each other. This paper discusses the historical relationship between Islam and Arabic, how this relationship strengthens both of them, and how they both spread across the world, especially to the Asian Pacific countries that have the majority of the world’s non-Arab Muslims. It also sheds light upon the ways in which Islam preserves the Arabic language and converts it into a universal language that is used in all of these countries. This leads the discussion of how learning Arabic in Asian Pacific communities strengthens communication not only among Muslims but also within each Muslim to conduct his/her religious deeds, prayers, and behaviors. The paper also attempts to explore the possibility of learning Arabic as a foreign language by some Non-Muslims in those communities.

How European is Esperanto?

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikael Parkvall
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Solid Base ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Common Criticism ◽  
Native Tongue

The typological similarities between Esperanto and other languages have long been a matter of debate. Assuming that foreign-language structures are more easily acquired when they resemble those of the learner’s native tongue, any candidate for a global lingua franca obviously ought to be as typologically neutral as possible. One common criticism of Esperanto is that it is ‘too European,’ and thus less accessible to speakers of non-European languages. In order to provide a more solid base for such discussions, this paper makes an attempt to quantify the Eurocentricity of Esperanto, employing the features catalogued in the World Atlas of Language Structures. It is concluded that Esperanto is indeed somewhat European in character, but considerably less so than the European languages themselves.

scholarly journals English as a Lingua Franca and Its Implications for Teaching English as a Foreign Language

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-166
Author(s):  
Tünde Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Standard Version ◽  
Syntactic Properties

Abstract The analysis of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has received considerable attention over the years. There has been a lot of research done both on the morpho-syntactic properties of ELF interactions and the communication strategies used by ELF speakers in order to facilitate communication and avoid misunderstandings. Given the fairly large number of findings, the question arises whether ELF should be introduced in the curriculum or replace EFL (English as a Foreign Language). I believe that although ELF data are significant and can benefit teaching English as a foreign language, they cannot replace EFL, especially because English as a lingua franca is primarily a communication tool and not a language variant. Also, while there have been other models suggested as alternatives to teaching a standard version of English, none of these models seem practical enough or have proven applicable in the classroom. After giving an overview of the research done on English as a lingua franca, with a special emphasis on the notion of lingua franca core, the study reflects on the repercussions of ELF findings on teaching English as a foreign language.

scholarly journals English as a Lingua Franca in the Context of Migration: An Italian Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-276
Author(s):  
Lorena Carbonara ◽  
Annarita Taronna
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
First Languages ◽  
Multicultural Classrooms ◽  
New Research ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Migrant People ◽  
The Way

Descriptive research on English as a Lingua Franca has been under way for more than a decade now, to the point where the acronym ELF refers not only to situations in which speakers of different first languages use English as their main communicative medium of choice, but also to a new research paradigm in various disciplines documenting a set of shared and stable features and processes. ELF is, in fact, essentially defined and characterised by its variability, flexibility, and linguistic creativity (Guido & Seidlhofer 2014; Seidlhofer 2011). In this paper, we approach the study of ELF as a socio-cultural, political and pragmatic phenomenon by looking at how it manifests itself linguistically in a specific group of speakers: migrant people who have recently crossed the Mediterranean and are enrolled in the national SPRAR project (Sistema di Protezione per Richiedenti Asilo e Rifugiati). The examples of language contacts between ELF and IFL (Italian as a Foreign Language) here discussed will illustrate how linguistic creativity manifests itself in ELF not only in the way “the virtual language of English” (Widdowson 1997: 138–140) is flexibly and creatively adapted and used, but also in the way in which non-English speech can be also integrated into ELF discourse. In the context of multicultural classrooms like those observed in this study, where such factors as integration, tolerance, respect and conflict are at issue every day, the use of ELF becomes more and more controversial. Indeed, it requires a multidisciplinary approach that considers the teaching/learning environment from a variety of perspectives, from the linguistic to the anthropological, from the pedagogical to the sociological ones.

scholarly journals Intercultural Communicative Competence: Why Is It Significant and How Can It Be Enhanced in EFL Settings?

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 793-803
Author(s):  
Seçil Tümen Akyıldız ◽  
Vildan Çelik ◽  
Kwestan Hussein Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Different Cultures

In the current literature on foreign language teaching, it has become clear that having the requisite ability of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) to be aware of different cultures, respect them, and interact with people from different cultures is crucial. Language is connected to culture and societies, in which people need to communicate with one another. English as a lingua franca provides a means of communication among different cultures. Thus, English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching classes offer perfect situations to foster ICC. From this viewpoint, this article gives an account to raise awareness of ICC in EFL settings by explaining ICC and its relationship with language, describing the significance of ICC, and illustrating some suggestions in the literature for the enhancement of ICC in EFL classes. This paper seeks to improve EFL teachers’ understanding of intercultural communication and to help them with their classroom practices.

Grassroots English, Learner English, Second-language English, English as a Lingua Franca …: What’s in a Name?

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-46
Author(s):  
Sarah Buschfeld
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Learner ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
English Second Language ◽  
Conceptual Overview

The chapter offers a conceptual overview, discussing the notion of ‘grassroots Englishes’ along with other related phenomena pertaining to the spread of the English language worldwide (‘learner English’, ‘English as a second language’, ‘English as a foreign language’, ‘English as a lingua franca’…). It provides data samples for illustration but argues that traditional clear-cut distinctions between such concepts do not fully depict linguistic realities. Furthermore, it broadens the focus to include the notion of ‘grassroots multilingualism’ and it is argued that ‘grassroots Englishes’ should be pictured as an important part within a higher-level framework of global, multilingual practices. Concluding, it is suggested that different Englishes should better be pictured as nodes in a complex system of Englishes and, in turn, as parts of a complex system of languages and multilingual practices, in which certain categorical differences can be identified but which, more importantly, overlap and interact in their emergence, existence, and uses.

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