English as a Lingua Franca and its Relevance to English Language Teaching

Today, we live in an interconnected, globalized world often referred to as a “global village,” where the number of non-native speakers of English surpasses the number of native speakers. Therefore, the language is often regarded as a practical tool and a working language (Crystal, 2003: 426). The significance of English as a global language is evident in two primary ways. First, many regions around the world use their own variations of English known as “World Englishes.” Second, “English as a lingua franca” (ELF) has emerged as a means of communication in English between speakers who do not share a common native tongue or a common national culture, and for whom English is the chosen foreign language of communication. The article “Lingua Franca English, Multilingual Communities, and Language Acquisition” defines “lingua franca” as a “contact language used by speakers of other languages in the new contexts of transnational communication” (Canagarajah, 925). In fact, most ELF interactions occur among non-native speakers of English. <a href="https://inkandfables.medium.com/english-as-a-lingua-franca-and-its-relevance-to-english-language-teaching-78fee37e7819">Website</a>