Journal of Applied Languages and Linguistics

Research Article

 

TITLE: 

The role of culture in English as a Lingua Franca

Author: Eleni Spapi

Institution: University of Applied Sciences of Thessaly, Greece   

Mailing address: 4-6 Papavasiliou Street, Larissa, Greece

Email: espapi@teilar.gr

Published online: 31 December 2018, pp. 44-52

Citation: Spapi, E. (2018) The role of culture in English as a Lingua Franca. Journal of Applied languages and Linguistics, 2(2), pp.44-52.

 

Abstract

The international status of the English language has made it an indispensable communicative tool in the hands of almost a billion of speakers worldwide. Through English as a Lingua Franca, people from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds have the ability to communicate for their own purposes and become involved in a mutual exchange of verbal and non-verbal information. In this constant dialogue, culture is a crucial factor. So some critical questions would be how culture affects the English language and what the role of native speakers in this tendency of “globalisation” is. Why has English been accused as “imperialistic”? Can the English language classroom and teaching materials aid learners in raising their cultural awareness? The discussion which follows in this paper will try to view the different perspectives on these topics, evaluate them and provide the reader with useful insights into the role of culture in English as a Lingua Franca.

 

© Applied Language Studies House Publications 2018. All rights reserved.

 

Keywords: culture, English as a Lingua Franca, English as an International Language, linguistic and cultural imperialism, multiculturalism, English language teaching, teaching materials.