Out-of-class communication and awareness of English as a Lingua Franca

Abstract This article reports on the implementation of an out-of-class communication component of a university ELT course in Hong Kong to raise students’ awareness of the pluralistic nature of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Drawing on students’ written reflections as part of the coursework, the s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	ELT journal 2018-01, Vol.72 (1), p.15-25
Main Author:	Sung, Chit Cheung Matthew
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	China College Students communication skills Communication Strategies Consciousness Raising English (Second Language) English language (Modern) Foreign Countries Hong Kong Language Role Language Usage lingua franca Native Speakers Official Languages Role Second Language Instruction Second Language Learning teaching approaches (language) Teaching Methods teaching of language
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Summary:	Abstract This article reports on the implementation of an out-of-class communication component of a university ELT course in Hong Kong to raise students’ awareness of the pluralistic nature of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Drawing on students’ written reflections as part of the coursework, the study investigated how out-of-class ELF communication activities impacted on students’ understanding of English in a global context. Findings suggest that students developed an increased awareness of ELF as a result of the communication activities. In particular, they appreciated the diversity of English in the world, questioned the relevance of native-speaker norms, and emphasized the importance of communicative strategies in ELF communication. In addition, they reported practical and personal benefits derived from the out-of-class communication activities. The study points to the importance of first-hand, out-of-class communication experiences in raising students’ awareness of ELF and the role of reflection in developing students’ critical consciousness of the global role of English.
ISSN:	0951-0893 1477-4526 1477-4526