Major technological advances in the 21st century have enabled instant global communication, thus breaking the barriers of space and time between different locations on the planet. The world has turned into an … See more

The way English is used as a lingua franca is heavily dependent on the specific situation of use. Generally speaking, ELF interactions concentrate on function rather than form. In other words, communicative efficiency (i.e. getting the message across) is more important … See more

Several attitude studies on the topic of English as a foreign language (ELF) have already been conducted. One overarching factor seems to be … See more

Criticism of ELF generally falls into three camps: Those who argue that the language studied consists of learner errors rather than … See more

Although some researchers hold that English as a lingua franca is a neutral and culture-free tool, others hold that it carries the culture and language of its speakers. Recent linguistic … See more

ELF is used most often between non-native speakers of English, but this does not mean that native speakers are excluded from ELF … See more

Colin Sowden opened the debate with a paper in which he discusses which version of English to teach to second language (L2) learners. He argues … See more