Speakers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds have increasingly come into contact on a global scale and have adopted English as a contact language, a lingua franca, in contexts where the language is used for various communicative purposes. It is observed that multilingual speakers, belonging to different “linguacultural backgrounds” (Cogo, Dewey 2012), draw on a variety of linguistic repertoires which are dynamically and creatively exploited and modified during the interaction. As a consequence, innovative forms emerge, therefore offering unique insights to researchers and scholars interested in the study of ELF communication. In the present paper, one aspect of ELF communication will be emphasized; the “accommodation” strategies employed by ELF speakers when they negotiate meaning. In particular, attention will be given to “repair strategies” (Kaur 2011) and “cognates” (Hülmbauer 2011) in ELF interactional practices. The aim is to show the “mutually supportive nature” (Seidlhofer 2001) of such strategies but also how the negotiation processes at work are responsible for new lingua franca features. More in depth investigation into the underlying linguistic and cognitive processes which contribute to the meaning-making process in ELF communication will be suggested. It is believed that an enhanced knowledge of ELF theoretical concepts and empirical findings will provide new insights into ELT practices where the role of English as a lingua franca is largely underestimated (Dewey 2011). Results of the initial phase of a pilot study will be presented with the purpose to highlight that teachers’ awareness of ELF features may contribute to reduce the gap between how teachers perceive language and communication and how real communication in the global English world currently takes place. The need to re-examine traditional methodological practices and encourage teachers to engage with an ELF-oriented perspective will be therefore highlighted.
Plurilingual Communication in ELF Talk. From exploration to application of ELF-oriented perspectives
DE BARTOLO, Anna Maria
2016-01-01
Abstract
Speakers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds have increasingly come into contact on a global scale and have adopted English as a contact language, a lingua franca, in contexts where the language is used for various communicative purposes. It is observed that multilingual speakers, belonging to different “linguacultural backgrounds” (Cogo, Dewey 2012), draw on a variety of linguistic repertoires which are dynamically and creatively exploited and modified during the interaction. As a consequence, innovative forms emerge, therefore offering unique insights to researchers and scholars interested in the study of ELF communication. In the present paper, one aspect of ELF communication will be emphasized; the “accommodation” strategies employed by ELF speakers when they negotiate meaning. In particular, attention will be given to “repair strategies” (Kaur 2011) and “cognates” (Hülmbauer 2011) in ELF interactional practices. The aim is to show the “mutually supportive nature” (Seidlhofer 2001) of such strategies but also how the negotiation processes at work are responsible for new lingua franca features. More in depth investigation into the underlying linguistic and cognitive processes which contribute to the meaning-making process in ELF communication will be suggested. It is believed that an enhanced knowledge of ELF theoretical concepts and empirical findings will provide new insights into ELT practices where the role of English as a lingua franca is largely underestimated (Dewey 2011). Results of the initial phase of a pilot study will be presented with the purpose to highlight that teachers’ awareness of ELF features may contribute to reduce the gap between how teachers perceive language and communication and how real communication in the global English world currently takes place. The need to re-examine traditional methodological practices and encourage teachers to engage with an ELF-oriented perspective will be therefore highlighted.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
