English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is interesting for researchers, but not important for teachers and learners

ELT DEBATE

SESSION DETAILS: English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is interesting for researchers, but not important for teachers and learners

As English has become the global lingua franca, there has been a lot of discussion of, and investigation into, the varied ways in which it is spoken around the world, and by different groups of speakers. But is such variation in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) relevant to the ELT classroom?

Many who teach business communication observe gradual changes in Standard English. As do other languages, English changes through contact with other languages and through several other well-understood avenues of language evolution, such as compounding, adding affixes, functional shift, coinage, and so on. If this goes on, there wont be a target language as English because it will be assimilated.

As Dennett says, “English may be the language of the global village but the villagers are far from agreement on what is good use of the language” (1992, p. 13). Many communicators mistakenly assume a commonality of understanding when both speakers use the same English words. We know that even two speakers born to the same language experience only approximate commonality of meaning; yet we routinely forget to compensate for that fact and end up with cases of bypassing. Internationally, the commonality of understanding can be far more sketchy, and the contextual issues much more complex, than most of us realize. If we rely on only one type of English, I mean Standard English, there wont be any kind of misunderstanding or complexity in the communication.

In ELT classes, supporting World English seems to unreasonable. We are having the process to be able to speak with adequate pronounciation, correct sentences and we are taking the courses about correcting students mistakes according to standard English. We have a standard version of a language and we set our mind according to that standardization.

If variation occurs in domestic workplaces, more variation occurs where English is used as a second or a common language. But English serves a multitude of different purposes now and there should be a common area for pronounciation, lexicon, grammar and so on to make people get along with well.

Think about a situation that, 4 different people is speaking their own English. I mean World English. And sometimes they misunderstand each other. They use communicative figures such as “could you repeat pls?” or “excuse me” , by the time passing, they get the point that it is time consuming and there are always problems to have conversations with themselves. And they think that there is no need to have conversation. This breaks the social life, cultural oppurtunity, even sometimes so important business things.

English is alive, healthy, and “morphing” in many ways, and what we call Standard English is a moving target. Language change carries with it some discomfort. Even where English is spoken as a first language, purists in grammar and usage find much to offend them. Business persons, like many others, tend to take a purist’s attitude when they perceive language errors. As you see, in the area of native speakers, there are still some problems, and if we add World Englishes to this situation, there will be more complexity and misunderstandings.

The business public and many educators think of Standard English as “good English” and English that varies from it as “bad English.” Good Englishes, let alone the so-so English(es) with which much of the rest of the business world gets along pretty well.“[Foreigners are] good at getting points across in English. They don’t joke. They ignore gaffes. They pay no attention to grammar. They don’t mind pauses. They don’t care if two people speak at once. They aim for normality, and live with confusion” (Newman, 1995, p. A-18).

So if this is the aim, there is no emotion or feeling in communication, that is mechanical and so robotic. All the target is getting the job or reaching the aim. This is kind of self seeking. That’s why, if we focus on just one type of English as a Standard, you understand all the points, jokes, emotions, and the conversations become not only successful but also enjoyable.

For the present, it’s English. Currently, Americans can get along pretty well doing business abroad because America is such an important buyer. But many other nations’ buying power is rising, and our English is not likely to serve us as well in selling as it has done in buying. As (former German chancellor) Willy Brandt has famously said, “If I’m selling to you, I speak your language. If I’m buying, dannmüssenSie Deutsch sprechen” (quoted in Saskin, 2001). His words should be understood both literally and figuratively. To sell better, we’ll need other languages, but we’ll also need better understanding of cultural contexts that underlie the form of Standard English others use with us.