Article published in:
AILA Review
Vol. 34:2 (2021) ► pp. 187–211

Developing ELF research for critical language education

| Goldsmiths University of London
| Shantou University
| Hellenic Open University
| National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
| Bahia Federal University
Research in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), that is the medium of communication between people who come from different linguacultural backgrounds, has created a rich body of work in various areas. This article focuses on a more recent development of this research for teachers and teacher educators in the perspective of critical language education (CLE). We explore how ELF research, both the linguistic/discourse-oriented one and the pedagogic-oriented one, can benefit from its links to CLE, with its understanding of teaching for social change. We then refer to aspects of critical transformative theory that become relevant in designing and implementing ELF-aware teacher education programmes, focusing especially on three recursive (non-linear) components, i.e. the phase of exposure, the phase of critical awareness and the phase of development of actions that teachers can implement in their teaching. We finish by exploring the critical role of assessment in language education and conclude by inviting teachers and educators to become involved in ELF research for CLE.
Keywords: English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), critical language education (CLE), ELF-awareness, critical transformative theory, assessment
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.ELF research and its developments
    • 2.1ELF, World Englishes and Global Englishes
    • 2.2Brief overview of research on ELF discourse, attitudes and ideologies
    • 2.3Relevance of ELF for teachers and teacher educators
  • 3.ELF and critical language education
    • 3.1Issues and orientations connecting ELF and CLE
    • 3.2Applications for teacher education
    • 3.3Applications for language pedagogy
    • 3.4Applications for assessment
  • 4.Future developments
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 31 January 2022
https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.21007.cog
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