As soon as learners step outside the classroom, they act as
users of English who communicate with other speakers of
English from a wide variety of linguacultural backgrounds. Given
the global spread of English and the fact that the majority of
users do not speak English as their mother tongue, learners are
likely to be involved in interactions with other non-native
speakers. These situations then bear the hallmarks of English as a
lingua franca (ELF), which is “any use of English among
speakers of different first languages for whom English is the
communicative medium of choice, and often the only option”,
according to Seidlhofer.
Since ELF speakers represent various cultures and
languages, ELF contexts of use are characterized by diversity and
the subsequent unpredictability and variability of communication.
Therefore, interactions where English functions as a lingua franca
require active engagement in the meaning-making process by the
participants.
Éva Illés and Sumru Akcan. Bringing real-life language use into EFL
classrooms. In: ELT Journal, Volume 71, Issue 1, 2017, p. 3-12 (adapted).