English as a Lingua Franca

LE INTERFERENZE DELL'INGLESE NELLA LINGUA ITALIANA TRA 'PROTEZIONISMO' E 'DESCRITTIVISMO' LINGUISTICO: IL CASO DEL LESSICO DELLA CRISI

by Antonio Taglialatela

di prossima pubblicazione sul semestrale "Linguæ &", 02/2011, Milano: LED online. ISSN 1724-8698

The issue of the interference of English on modern Italian has always been of interest to several researchers in... more The issue of the interference of English on modern Italian has always been of interest to several researchers in Italy. This paper outlines how this interference has affected the Italian language over the last two decades. To this purpose, we have deemed interesting to quote and contrast the views of two eminent Italian scholars involved in the long-lasting debate between linguistic ‘protectionism’ and ‘descriptivism’ – i.e. Arrigo Castellani and Tullio De Mauro.
We have taken into account the most widespread English loanwords of the economic crisis found in the three major Italian newspapers from the 1st September 2011 to the 1st March 2012 and we have then verified if to date they are present in three well-known Italian monolingual dictionaries.
As a result, most of these loanwords have been shown to be adequately integrated into the Italian language in both written and oral texts.
It would be advisable to take this work into due consideration in the light of the international perspective on which global communication pivots today.
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La questione dell'interferenza dell'inglese sull'italiano contemporaneo è sempre stata oggetto di grande interesse da parte dei ricercatori. Partendo da tale premessa, questo lavoro vuole espremere alcune importanti considerazioni su come negli anni questa interferenza abbia influenzato, e continui ad influenzare, la lingua italiana. Abbiamo ritenuto interessante da un lato citare e confrontare le posizioni di due illustri studiosi, quali Arrigo Castellani e Tullio De Mauro, nell'ambito dell'aspro confronto tra protezionismo e descrittivismo linguistico - anche prendendo in esame alcuni degli anglismi più diffusi nell'italiano contemporaneo nell'ambito dell'attuale crisi economico-finanziaria -, dall'altro abbiamo verificato la lemmatizzazione degli stessi in tre noti vocabolari monolingui italiani.
Sulla base delle analisi effettuate questi anglismi risultano oggi ben integrati tanto nell'italiano scritto che in quello parlato.
Questo lavoro può essere inserito nel quadro del rapporto italiano-inglese alla luce della prospettiva internazionale intorno cui la comunicazione si muove oggigiorno.

Academic writing practices in Portugal: survey of Humanities and Social Science researchers

by Karen Bennett

Diacrítica — Série Ciências da Linguagem, 24 (1). 2010. 193-209

The world of academic research is becoming increasingly globalised, and as a result, Portuguese researchers are under... more The world of academic research is becoming increasingly globalised, and as a result, Portuguese researchers are under pressure not only to publish abroad but also to bring their discourse into line with Anglo-Saxon norms. This survey was designed to gauge the attitude of Portuguese researchers towards the hegemony of English Academic Discourse and find out something about their habits as regards the production of academic texts in English. 

I think (that) something's missing: Complementizer deletion in non-native e-mails

by Mercedes Durham

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 1(3). 2011

Towards a corpus-based approach to language attitudes: The Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube

by Dejan Ivković/ Дејан Ивковић

Language@Internet (forthcoming, 2012)
Languages: multilingual, English, French, German

(abstract)
This article examines language attitudes expressed in the comments sections of YouTube web pages. A... more (abstract)
This article examines language attitudes expressed in the comments sections of YouTube web pages. A corpus-based analysis of language attitudes was carried out on data taken from a range of YouTube pages featuring video uploads of songs performed in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) between 2003 and 2010. A specialized corpus of approximately 770,000 tokens was collected from YouTube for the purpose of the study. Comments of YouTube users were analyzed using the WordSmith concordancer to reveal patterns of overtly-expressed language attitudes. The results of the analysis show that (1) language attitudes are explained by arguments that support affective/evaluative, instrumental, pragmatic or symbolic functions of language choice; (2) singing in a non-native language provokes mostly negative comments; and (3) the performance of the German 2010 winning song in a “Cockney-like” accent elicits mixed positive/negative responses. The results of the study shed light on multilingualism and language choice in the ESC and offer an input parameter for language policy and language planning of the Contest.

ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA: OUTLINES AND CONSIDERATIONS

by Antonio Taglialatela

published in “Englishes”, 43/2011, Rome: Pagine, pp. 35-40. ISSN 1593-2494

There is no doubt that English today represents the language of globalization. In this light and considering the fact... more There is no doubt that English today represents the language of globalization. In this light and considering the fact that there are currently more non-native speakers of English than native speakers, this language is quite often distorted by inappropriate use. The theory of a type of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) based on the acceptability of certain grammatical errors by non-native speakers is moving forward at present and underlines how important it is to be linguistically tolerant. Apart from that, I reckon that while this is reasonable on the one hand, it is dangerous on the other, as the identity of the English language might be at risk. The aim of this paper is to outline some important comments and highlight precise recommendations concerning the realization of an ideal ELF which could exist beside the Standard English as an additional language intended specifically for inter-national communication.

'LOCALIZING' INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION: INSIGHTS INTO ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA

by Antonio Taglialatela

published in “Englishes”, 44-45/2011, Rome: Pagine, pp. 39-48. ISSN 1593-2494

The growth of the use of English as the world’s primary language for inter-national communication has been long... more The growth of the use of English as the world’s primary language for inter-national communication has been long debated. Even if native speakers are still regarded in some contexts as the custodians who are granted rights of control over the development of the English language, it cannot be denied that a language in contact with a notable proportion of the world’s languages cannot maintain its peculiar features, with new varieties constantly emerging, through which individuality or nationality can be expressed.
This paper aims to investigate how crucial it is to start local to go global and aims to highlight, as Facchinetti et al. (2010) argue, that «being aware of every culture[’s] specificities avoids cultural mistakes and misunderstandings which give rise to miscommunication» (2010: 8). With this regard, we wish to stress that English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is to date definitely part of a more general process called “glocalization” and as such, we are witnessing a reshaping of the English language, as it naturally adapts to the new values and relations in global communication.

The use of English as a lingua franca in teaching Chinese as a foreign language: A case study of native Chinese teachers in Beijing

by Wang Danping

Wang, Danping. (in press). The use of English as a lingua franca in teaching Chinese as a foreign language: A case study of native Chinese teachers in Beijing. In H. Hartmut and Preisler, B. (eds.), Language alternation, language choice and language encounter in international education. Springer.

A study of English as a lingua franca in teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages

by Wang Danping

Code choice in the Chinese as a foreign language classroom

by Wang Danping

The large influx of Chinese language learners into the People's Republic of China from diverse countries shapes the... more The large influx of Chinese language learners into the People's Republic of China from diverse countries shapes the Chinese as a foreign language classroom as a multilingual and multinational domain. However, how Chinese language teachers perceive their choice of codes for teaching and communicating with international Chinese language learners remains an under-researched area. To investigate Chinese language teachers' language beliefs toward code choice in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, twenty four Chinese language teachers from four universities in Beijing were invited to participate in this study. Findings indicated that although Chinese language teachers endeavored to abide by a Chinese-only principle, English was regularly and strategically employed as an international lingua franca for explanatory, managerial and interactive functions. The study concluded by sketching an "ELF pedagogy" for Chinese language teachers to consider in increasingly multilingual classroom.

The Spread of English in the State of Kuwait

by Yousuf B. AlBader

English is the language of the planet Earth, the language of the world and the language which unites all mankind.... more English is the language of the planet Earth, the language of the world and the language which unites all mankind. Nowadays, it is impossible to find a country or a state that does not speak at least limited English. In other words, English is the language that is used by a majority of the world (see appendix I). It is doubtless that English is to some extent distinguished from other languages by its flexible grammar In addition, there was an organization called The Athenaeum, who stated the following facts about English: “It has less grammar than other languages; it doesn’t have a lot of endings on its words, and we don’t have to remember the difference between masculine, feminine, and neuter gender”.
The researcher in this paper will investigate how deep the impact of the English language is in the State of Kuwait, and the historical British-Kuwaiti relationship which has lasted for more than two centuries and the reason for connection (see appendix II). Then the focus will be on the official language of Kuwait and what other languages are being used apart from English. Also, the need for English, English as a lingua franca, and the adoption of English words and phrases in Kuwait. After that, the researcher will continue talking about the current situation and the political, economic and educational factors of Kuwait. Finally, there will be a critical conclusion which includes the cultural effect of English, and Arabicization.

De-Accentuation of Accent in English as a Lingua Franca

by Bedrettin Yazan

Co-authored with Bengu Caliskan Selvi

The incredible growth in the number of people speaking English over the globe has led to the current linguistic... more The incredible growth in the number of people speaking English over the globe has led to the current linguistic diversity in English. Particularly, speakers of different Englishes adopt a variety of phonological modifications, which ignites the question of “standard” in pronunciation and poses a pedagogical challenge in teaching English language learners.

International Master Franchise Agreements

by Maureen Brookes

This paper was published in the European Journal of Marketing

Sifakis, N. C. and Sougari, Areti-Maria (2005). “Pronunciation issues and EIL pedagogy in the periphery: A survey of Greek state school teachers’ beliefs”. TESOL Quarterly, 39/3: 467-488.

by Nicos C. Sifakis

This article presents a survey of Greek EFL teachers' (N = 421) attitudes regarding their pronunciation beliefs and... more This article presents a survey of Greek EFL teachers' (N = 421) attitudes regarding their pronunciation beliefs and practices. It touches on two sets of questions. First, it refers to teachers' viewpoints regarding pronunciation-specific issues and the possible links between pronunciation teaching, English as an international language (EIL), and the sociocultural identity of nonnative speakers of English (NNSs). Second, it tries to establish the extent to which these teachers are aware of EIL-related matters, such as the need for mutual intelligibility in NNS–NNS communication. We conclude that teachers' viewpoints are predominantly norm bound. We further attempt to make sense of these viewpoints by referring to (a) the teachers' sense of being the custodians of the English language as regards English language learners and (b) the wider sociocultural linguistic background in Greece (which involves a history of diglossia and a recent experience of a massive inflow of immigrants). We go on to suggest ways to raise teachers' awareness of EIL-related concerns by suggesting that they use their immediate geopolitical and sociocultural surroundings.

Sifakis, N. C. (2007). ‘The education of the teachers of English as a lingua franca: a transformative perspective.’ International Journal of Applied Linguistics. 17/3: 355-375.

by Nicos C. Sifakis

The article responds to the emerging need for a general framework for ELF (English as a lingua franca) teacher... more The article responds to the emerging need for a general framework for ELF (English as a lingua franca) teacher education that would appropriately inform and sensitize ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) practitioners about ELF teaching matters. The teacher education model put forward is based on the transformative framework for adult education suggested by Mezirow and has five phases. The framework aims at bringing about the much-needed paradigm shift in postmodern ESOL pedagogy by transforming ESOL teachers' worldviews about English and English language pedagogy and empowering them in bringing about the necessary changes in their own teaching context.

Sifakis, N. C. (2009). 'Challenges in teaching ELF in the periphery: the Greek context'. ELT Journal, 63/3: 230-237

by Nicos C. Sifakis

The paper presents a notional account of the challenges facing the introduction of English as an international lingua... more The paper presents a notional account of the challenges facing the introduction of English as an international lingua franca (ELF) curriculum in the state schools of the expanding circle, taking Greece as a case in point. It broadly delineates an ELF curriculum as one focusing on the skills necessary for carrying out successful communication involving non-native speakers and then highlights a set of challenges linked to both teaching context and teachers’ perceptions of professional identity. It focuses on challenges related to three facets of the professional identity of academically trained Greek state school EFL teachers, namely, their roles as users, specialists, and, ultimately, custodians of English for their learners and wider community. These facets are discussed with reference to a description of the country's current sociolinguistic and educational profile. The paper concludes with an overview of the strengths of an ELF curriculum for Greek state schools and discusses implications for ELF teacher education.

Sifakis, N. C. & Sougari, A.-M. (2010). ‘Between a rock and a hard place: an investigation of EFL teachers' beliefs on what keeps them from integrating global English in their classrooms.’ In Cesare Gagliardi & Alan Maley (Eds.), EIL, ELF, Global English: Teaching and Learning. Bern: Peter Lang AG, pp. 301-320.

by Nicos C. Sifakis

The paper concentrates on the concerns that EFL teachers working in state schools of expanding-circle countries have... more The paper concentrates on the concerns that EFL teachers working in state schools of expanding-circle countries have in their personal “journey” towards coming to understand and appreciate the implications that the global English situation is raising for their classrooms. It is presumed that these concerns can create hindrances and obstacles that these teachers cannot disregard. In this paper we distinguish between and expand upon two types of such hindrances, objective and subjective ones. It is argued that teachers should become aware of these potential hindrances and actively work towards understanding what is involved in integrating global English in their day-to-day teaching practices. More specifically, we report the findings of a survey of 388 primary and secondary state-school EFL teachers in Greece on how they perceive themselves both as practitioners and as active users of and experts in different domains of the target language. Based on the results of the survey, we aim to isolate those characteristics that in-service teacher training programmes should focus on in order to raise teachers’ awareness of the importance of integrating an understanding of global or lingua franca English as a means of empowering both themselves and their learners.

Problem-solving mechanisms in information exchange dialogues with English as a lingua franca

by Tarmo Ahvenainen

World language policy in the era of globalization: Diversity and intercommunication from the perspective of 'complexity'

by Albert Bastardas-Boada

Published in "Noves SL. Revista de sociolingüística" (Barcelona), 2002.

Política lingüística mundial a l'era de la globalització: diversitat i intercomunicació des de la perspectiva de la 'complexitat

by Albert Bastardas-Boada

Published in Noves SL. Revista de sociolingüística (Barcelona), 2002.

Ensino de inglês como língua franca e a identidade nacional: refletindo sobre a formação de professores

by Aparecida De Jesus Ferreira

Kalva, Julia Margarida ; Ferreira, Aparecida De Jesus. Ensino de inglês como língua franca e a identidade nacional: refletindo sobre a formação de professores. Revista Travessias, v.5, n.1, p.709-727. 2011.

A língua inglesa é inegavelmente a mais utilizada para que pessoas de línguas/ identidades diferentes possam se... more A língua inglesa é inegavelmente a mais utilizada para que pessoas de línguas/ identidades diferentes possam se comunicar e interagir. Antretanto, há muitos questionamentos com relação à ameaça que essa língua/identidade apresenta para as línguas/identidades locais, pois ela ainda carrega muito da história de imperialismo ligada a países como estados unidos e inglaterra. a dicotomia entre a necessidade de aprender o idioma para poder fazer parte desse novo mundo sem fronteiras e a vontade de se preservar as línguas/identidades locais acaba por dar voz a novas formas de se pensar a língua inglesa e seu ensino. Desta forma, busco nesse trabalho fazer uma reflexão sobre como o inglês como língua franca e a identidade, é abordados na formação de professores. Faço um levantamento bibliográfico a respeito dos temas apontados acima. Assim, utilizo da obra de autores como Baunam (2005), Hall (1999,2005), Woodward (2005), Anderson (2008), Pollak (1992) para falar de identidade nacional. Logo após faço uso de Canagarajah (1999; 2006; 2007), House (2003), Crystal (1997), Block (2004), Seidlhofer (2004), Gimenez (2008), Pakir (2009), Phillipon (1992), Pennycook(1994), Rajagopalan (2003,2006), Moita Lopes ( 2008,2006 ), Ferreira ( 2000), Gimenez (2006) para falar de língua franca e formação de professores. Com base nessas reflexões depreende-se que o ensino de língua inglesa já não pode ser mais visto como aquele baseado no falante nativo como sendo o ideal, mas sim num ensino voltado também para a valorização da identidade local de alunos e professores.