Developing ELF research for critical language education

Alessia Cogo, Fan Fang, Stefania Kordia, Nicos Sifakis & Sávio Siqueira
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.

Publication history

Date received: 19 April 2021

Date accepted: 1 October 2021

Published online: 31 January 2022

Table of contents

English as a Lingua Franca (henceforth ELF) is the medium of communication between people who come from different linguacultural backgrounds and for whom English is the chosen language of communication (Jenkins, 2015a; Mauranen, 2012; Seidlhofer, 2011). Research on ELF has been thriving since the year 2000 with empirical work and dissemination efforts being carried out hand-in-hand through publications and conference organization. One such effort is the establishment of the AILA Research Network on ELF in 2011, which today includes more than 100 members. This paper is the result of the collaboration between a sub-section of this network.

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