UWC Schools: An Ideal ELF Environment?

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the predominantly lingua franca use of English at the United World Colleges (UWCs) which are pre-university schools with students from over 130 countries based in thirteen countries around the world. We correlate several variables such as language confidence, language exposure, language proficiency, language models and linguistic identity and analyse how they relate to students’ language awareness. Based on the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, we propose several tentative suggestions applicable both in current TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and in the future of TELF (Teaching English as a Lingua Franca).

Keywords

• English as a Lingua Franca,International English,language awareness,foreign language proficiency,linguistic identity,language models

UWC Schools: An Ideal ELF Environment?

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the predominantly lingua franca use of English at the United World Colleges (UWCs) which are pre-university schools with students from over 130 countries based in thirteen countries around the world. We correlate several variables such as language confidence, language exposure, language proficiency, language models and linguistic identity and analyse how they relate to students’ language awareness. Based on the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, we propose several tentative suggestions applicable both in current TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and in the future of TELF (Teaching English as a Lingua Franca)

Keywords

• English as a Lingua Franca, International English, language awareness, foreign language proficiency, linguistic identity, language models

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