FROM EFL TO ELF: THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Abstract

Today we witness that English has already virtually taken one of the crucial roles on the global stage. Therefore, this paper´s goal is to explore the change that the English Language use has undergone in today´s globalized world that has led to the birth of a new construct in the field of English Language conceptualization, namely English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). In order to achieve this, the paper is organized in several sections covering the following topics: the spread of English throughout the world; a short overview of divergent stances and conceptions of English as a world language; introduction of ELF concept and pinpointing the line of distinction between the concepts of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). The paper accentuates the need for the reconstruction of the places and roles that EFL and ELF assume in present-day linguistic reality, together with the need to raise the awareness about the differences between the two and their implications in English Language Teaching (ELT).

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