Conceptualising ELF

Abstract

In this chapter, the author applies the three-pronged approach from the macro through meso down to the micro level, and looks at the consequences of each on the concept of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). A macro-social perspective on English as a lingua franca involves two central domains: the linguistic and the societal. A macro-social perspective on ELF needs to address the notion of community. The meso, or micro-social, view on ELF is concerned with language use in social interaction. Far from being just the necessary interface between the societal and the cognitive, the interactional aspect is pivotal to language. Complex language contact foregrounds a multilingual view of ELF. The author suggests that the most important cognitive processing phenomenon in ELF is approximation. By approximating intended expressions well enough, speakers can achieve communicative success. The author assumes that conversationalists in an ELF encounter engage in fuzzy processing in both the speaker and the hearer roles.

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