ELF: English as a Lingua Franca 

What is it? English as a lingua franca (ELF) is a functional term referring to the use of English as a common language by speakers of different first languages. English today is used far more by its non-native speakers than native speakers. It is undeniably the only global lingua franca used in a wide variety of international domains, including international business, banking, higher education, politics, technology and media. In this sense, English has reached truly global dimensions no other language has come near. This also means that English is in constant contact with the other languages in the world, subsequently causing change and variation in the English language. We know from research that there are a number of non-standard morphosyntactic commonalities in ELF usage (which are not simply first language transfer), and that those who use ELF employ a rich repertoire of strategies to communicate effectively.

Taken from: https://centerforinterculturaldialogue.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/key-concept-elf.pdf

• Do you think it is important for the world to have an international language? Why?
• Do you think another language will replace English as the international language in the future? Why?