Nicos SifakisHellenic Open University

ELF can help us raise interesting

questions...

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“Without US leadership, it would have been difficult or impossible for other nations to slash their barriers and open their markets. Such widespread opening has contributed to the best half-century of world economic growth at least since the time of Christ, and probably ever.”

(Bradford et al., 2006: 893)

“So just as ‘the business of America is business’, manifestly English for business is business for English.”

(Phillipson, 2001: 190-1)

The “special” roleof English

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Terminology

World English

World Englishes

Global English

English as an International Language

English as an Intercultural Language

English as a Lingua Franca

Lingua franca: “languages usually used by people whose mother tongues are different with a purpose of simplifying communication between them” (UNESCO, 1953)

5Implications

WHOSE English we teach

defines

WHAT English we teach

• Native Speaker Standard English

ESL, EFL

• Non-Native Speaker English as Lingua Franca

EIL, ELF

Combinations of the above?

How do we “feel” about English?

• 91%: E. the most useful language after MT (Eurobarometer 2001)

• 42%: self-acknowledged sufficient knowledge of E.

• Cambridge ESOL Exams (2006):– FCE: Greece 50th (out of 67 countries), 57%

success rate– CPE: 31st (out of 31 countries), 46% success

rate

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How do we “feel” about English?

• How well do we believe we know E? 24% “very well” (Eurobarometer, 2001)

Confidence vs. Competence:

mismatch?

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Question: Which of the following descriptions best suits your current (or most recent) teaching situation?

(1) FOREIGN LANGUAGE

(2) EXAM-ORIENTED

(3) INTERNATIONAL (ELF/EIL)

(4) MULTICULTURAL (MATE) orientation: Multicultural awareness through English

What English do we learn?

• In the FL classroom– Curriculum– Coursebook– Additional material– Computer lab

• Outside the FL classroom– Social media (e.g., Facebook)– Gaming (online, offline)– Mobile technology (e.g., iPhone, iPod, PSP, etc)

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A two-tiered proposal

A. E. as subject-matter: School literacy “Standard English”

B. E. as communication skills: Successful usage in diverse communicative

domains (written, spoken) Competent, autonomous intercultural “non-

native” user “owning” the FL

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Teacher preparation

Teacher autonomy

Teacher empowerment

Going beyond the coursebook11

12http://www.scoop.it/t/english-as-an-

international-lingua-franca-in-education

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