Defining English as an International
Language English as lingua franca (ELF) has traditionally
been defined as ‘interactions between members of two or
more differentlinguaculturesin English,for none ofwhom
English isthemothertongue’(HOUSE, 1999:74).In other
words,ELFisthe study of the type oflanguage thatis used
when second language speakers from different linguistic
and cultural backgrounds interact. By definition, all first
language speakers of English are excluded from the focus
of ELF investigations. Jenkins (2006) argues quite
strongly that the purpose of ELF research is essentially to
document the features of interactions between second
language speakers of English and in no way is meant to
depict a particular variety of English that should become
the standard for second language speakers.
McKAY, S. English as an international language:
What it is and what it means for pedagogy. SAGE
Journals, 23 jan. 2018. Disponível em:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/003368821
7738817. Acesso em: 15 jan. 2025.
Como professor de inglês, ao considerar o ensino da
língua inglesa como língua franca, é fundamental
compreender que: