Professor Jennifer Jenkins is director of the Centre for Global Englishes at the University of Southampton and a prominent researcher in the field of English as a lingua franca. She has written extensively in this area. She has also expressed her views exclusively in interviews for this online course.
In these activities you will hear some extracts from an interview with her in which she discusses some of the current research and issues in ELF. Using these, you will examine some of the controversies that ELF has generated, further explore the relationship between ELF and identity, and consider the future of ELF.
Activity 1: Controversies in ELF
ELF is quite a new field of study and as with many new ideas it has generated quite a lot of controversy. In this activity you are going to hear Professor Jenkins discuss some of these controversies in a six-minute extract from an interview.
Instruction
Listen to the interview extract and select any controversies and arguments in the list below which are referred to by Professor Jenkins. Then read the feedback.
The following were all referred to by Professor Jenkins in the interview extract: • Disagreement as to whether ELF forms should be regarded as learner errors, or systematic uses of English by proficient users of English that are different from 'native speaker' English • Feeling of many native speakers of English that they have ownership of the language and that 'native speaker' English is acceptable in all contexts • Non-native speaker investment of time, energy and money in acquiring a 'native-like English' and feeling patronised when it is suggested that it is not necessary to develop 'native-like English' • View that because English was first used in the UK and US it must be the best English • Confusion between English as a foreign language (EFL) and English as a lingua franca (ELF) - EFL is for use with native speakers of the language, whereas ELF is English used as a language of intercultural communication • Learners not realising that most communication in English will be as an international lingua franca, even in 'native speaker settings', for example at university in the UK
These arguments were not discussed by Professor Jenkins, however, you may come across them in your reading for this topic: • Economic and political reasons why native speakers of English and native speaker countries are unwilling to accept ELF as a legitimate form of English • Difficulty of understanding ELF and view that native speaker English is clearer • Concern of ELF research with describing English in a very academic way which is not of relevance to teachers or learners of English
Activity 2: ELF and identity
A recent area of research in ELF has concerned its relationship to identity. You are going to explore this theme whilst listening to a three minute intervew extract with Professor Jenkins.
Instruction
Listen to this second interview extract and make notes on the views concerning ELF and identity she discusses. Then read the feedback.
These are the views concerning ELF and identity that Professor Jenkins discusses: • There are two views on English as a lingua franca and identity. One that ELF is identity neutral, it is just a means of communication, and that you do not use it to express your identity. The other is that many ELF speakers use English a lot and conduct many activities through English in which they will express who they are. • People express their identity when speaking ELF through features such as code-switching. They may then explain the meaning to others who do not share the same L1, or they may code-switch to express solidarity with others who share the same language. • Many people in Professor Jenkins's research claimed they wanted to express their identity through English. • Another way people express their identity in ELF is through accent. However, accents other than 'native speaker' accents are often less acceptable.
Activity 3: The future of ELF
In this activity you are going to listen to a four minute interview extract in which Professor Jenkins gives her opinions about the future directions of ELF. You are going to then consider whether you agree or disagree with these opinions.
Instruction
As you listen to the final interview extract select the option to indicate whether you agree with, disagree with, or are unsure about the point that is being discussed. Then read the feedback.
Other languages such as Spanish and Mandarin have been suggested as alternatives to English as a lingua franca, but they will not replace English.
English will change due to its use as the language of intercultural communication across the globe.
English as a global lingua franca will move away from native speaker forms of English and develop hybrid forms which are very different from native speaker forms.
ELF should not be called English at all but be given a new name to distinguish it from native speaker English.
English will become very fluid; there will be no single standard of English. There will be less interest in what is correct but more interest in what is appropriate in the context of communication and accommodation and code-switching.
English will increasingly be used as an identity marker wherever people come from.
People who only speak English will be in the minority and less influential.
The future of English will be decided by young users of English, mainly non-native speakers.
If you agree with many of these statements then you are supporting the position outlined by Professor Jenkins, in which she suggests that native speaker English will become less influential in the future. Many supporters of the ELF viewpoint believe that more fluid, global forms of English, of the type described by ELF researchers, are likely to become more common and acceptable in the future.
