This study aims to explore how the application of Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF) is perceived among the employees at a chosen company, exploring to what extent BELF is used, and identifying opportunities and challenges of BELF. Using a qualitative research methodology conducted through semi-structured interviews, consisting of six participants, the study delves into the usage of BELF in a bigger Swedish company, how the employees experience it, and what factors matter for its outcome. The results show overwhelmingly positive experiences of BELF among respondents, primarily due to its necessity and appreciated utility in facilitating communication with customers and colleagues who do not share the same mother tongue, emphasizing the significant role of English in diverse business contexts. However, despite the generally positive outlook, challenges such as multilingual meetings, code shifting, misunderstandings in different contexts, and a restricted vocabulary, are identified.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This is a qualitative analytical study that investigates the use of English as lingua franca (ELF) between doctors and patients with different L1 at four different HIV/AIDS clinics in the Western Cape. The study addresses a gap in medical research, especially in the field of HIV/AIDS, namely, a lack of sufficient data-driven analytical investigation into the linguistic and conversational nature of doctor-patient communication in ELF in this setting in South Africa. A literature review contextualises ELF, discourse analysis (DA), conversation analysis (CA) and genre theory providing a theoretical framework for the study. The methodology involves audio-recording and transcription of HIV/AIDS consultations conducted in ELF. From the genre perspective, the study investigates the different genres in and determines if HIV/AIDS consultations are a sub-genre of medical discourses. DA investigates what contextual, socio-cultural linguistic features characterise medical interaction in this multilingual context and what ELF linguistic strategies participants use to signal and resolve misunderstanding. CA investigates the turn organisation and turn-taking patterns in the consultations to assess participants’ contributions and identify different types of sequences that characterise them, aiming to understand how they enable the interactants play their roles as doctors and patients. The results reveal that HIV/AIDS consultations exhibit formal features of doctor-patient consultations in general and intertextually revert to other oral genres leading to the conclusion that, considering their purpose, participants and context, HIV/AIDS consultations are like all medical consultations and are a sub-genre of medical discourse. The macro analysis reveals that the interactants’ socio-cultural and multi-linguistic backgrounds do positively influence the nature of the interaction in this context as it highlights characteristic linguistic features of ELF usage like borrowing, linguistic transference from L1, the use of analogy, code-switching and local metaphors all resulting from processes of indigenisation and hybridisation. The results reveal few instances of misunderstanding, concurring with earlier studies that problems of miscommunication may be minimal when two languages and/or cultural groups interact. The micro analysis reveals that the turns in the consultation follow the pre-selection and recurrent speakership patterns and that despite the advocacy for partnership between doctors and patients in their contribution and negotiation of outcomes, the doctor unavoidably remains the dominant partner. S/he determines the course of the consultation by initiating more turns, asking most of the questions and often unilaterally deciding on topic changes. S/he has longer talking time than the patient in the sequences and the physical examination and prescription phases of the consultation while the patient is mostly portrayed almost as a docile participant yielding to the doctor’s requests and taking very little if any initiative of his/her own to communicate his/her views and desires. The study reveals instances of both patient and doctor initiated repair to resolve any misunderstanding, which improves the quality of the interaction and its outcomes such as adherence and treatment follow-up. The study further highlights the challenges faced in the field which impacted on the data, the most crucial being the complicated but necessary ethical procedures required to get participants’ consent to participate in the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kwalitatiewe analitiese studie ondersoek die gebruik van Engels as lingua franca (ELF) tussen dokters en pasiënte met verskillende eerstetaal (T1) by vier verskillende MIV/vigs-klinieke in die Wes-Kaap. Die studie werp die soeklig op ʼn leemte in mediese navorsing, veral op MIV/vigs-gebied, en bring ʼn gebrek aan datagedrewe analitiese ondersoek na die taalkundige en gespreksaard van dokter-pasiënt-kommunikasie in ELF in hierdie omgewing in Suid-Afrika aan die lig. ʼn Literatuuroorsig van navorsing kontekstualiseer ELF, genre-teorie, diskoersanalise (DA) en gespreksanalise (GA), en bied ʼn teoretiese raamwerk vir die studie. Die navorsingsmetode behels oudio-opnames en transkripsie van MIV/vigs-konsultasies in ELF. Uit die genre-oogpunt bestudeer die navorsing die verskillende genres in MIV-konsultasies, en bepaal of dié konsultasies as ʼn subgenre van mediese diskoers beskou kan word. Met behulp van DA stel die studie vas watter kontekstuele, sosiokulturele taaleienskappe mediese interaksie in hierdie veeltalige konteks kenmerk, en watter ELF-taalstrategieë deelnemers gebruik om misverstande aan te dui en op te los. Daarna ondersoek GA die beurtorganisasie en beurtmaakpatrone in die konsultasies, om deelnemers se bydraes te beoordeel en verskillende soorte kenmerkende sekwensies uit te wys, en uiteindelik te begryp hoe dít die onderskeie partye in staat stel om hul rolle as dokters en pasiënte te vervul. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat MIV-konsultasies formele kenmerke van dokter-pasiënt-konsultasies in die algemeen toon en intertekstueel by ander mondelinge genres aansluit. Dít lei tot die gevolgtrekking dat, gedagtig aan die doel, deelnemers en konteks, MIV-konsultasies soos enige ander mediese konsultasie is en as ʼn subgenre van mediese diskoers beskou kan word. Die makro-analise (DA) toon dat die onderskeie gespreksdeelnemers se sosiokulturele en veeltalige agtergronde ʼn positiewe uitwerking het op die aard van die wisselwerking in hierdie konteks, aangesien dit kenmerkende taalkundige eienskappe van ELF-gebruik, soos leenwoorde, taaloordrag vanaf die L1, die gebruik van analogie, koderuiling en plaaslike metafore, beklemtoon. Al hierdie eienskappe spruit uit prosesse van verinheemsing en hibridisering. Die studie toon min gevalle van misverstand, wat met die resultate van vorige navorsing ooreenstem, naamlik dat probleme van wankommunikasie minimaal is wanneer twee tale en/of kultuurgroepe met mekaar omgaan. Die mikro-ontleding (GA) dui daarop dat die beurte in die konsultasie die preseleksie- en herhalende sprekerspatrone volg en dat, ondanks die voorspraak vir ʼn vennootskap tussen dokters en pasiënte in hul bydraes en bedinging van uitkomste, die dokter onvermydelik die dominante vennoot bly. Hy/sy bepaal die verloop van die konsultasie deur meer beurte aan te voer, die meeste vrae te stel en dikwels eensydig te besluit om die onderwerp te verander. Hy/sy het ook ʼn langer spreekbeurt as die pasiënt in die gespreksekwensies sowel as in die fisiese-ondersoek- en voorskriffases van die konsultasie. Daarenteen word die pasiënt merendeels as ʼn bykans gedweë deelnemer uitgebeeld wat aan die dokter se versoeke toegee en weinig of geen eie inisiatief aan die dag lê om sy/haar sienings en behoeftes oor te dra. Die studie toon ook gevalle van sowel pasiënt- as dokteraangevoerde herstel om enige misverstand uit die weg te ruim, wat die gehalte van die wisselwerking én die uitkomste daarvan, soos behandelingsgetrouheid en nasorg, verbeter. Die navorsing beklemtoon voorts die gebiedspesifieke uitdagings wat die data beïnvloed. Die belangrikste hiervan is die ingewikkelde dog nodige etiese prosedures wat vereis word om persone se toestemming tot studiedeelname te verkry.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the entwined roles of schooling, family support and investment, and community contact in Heritage Language Learning (HLL), Heritage Language Maintenance (HLM) and identity formation among two groups of North American Latvians. One is made up of 49 teenagers at Gaŗezers language camp in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The other comprises 25 parents, other adult Latvian speakers and camp staff members. I explore differences and similarities among them by age, gender and self-stated national identity and language proficiency. Primary data consist of some 70 questionnaires completed by youths and adults and six 30- to 90-minute interviews conducted and transcribed by me. Six more were conducted via e-mail. Based on aggregate analysis of multiple-choice and short-answer questions, supplemented by participants’ individual responses to longer-form survey questions and to my questions during interviews, findings demonstrate a connection between self-stated national identity (Latvian, Latvian-American or Latvian-Canadian, or American or Latvian) and self-assessment of Latvian language proficiency among the youths. Among the adults, men were more likely to identify simply as Latvian than were women, and adults of both genders who identified as Latvian averaged slightly lower in self-assessment of proficiency, even though most of them grew up speaking Latvian at home. Additionally, my research shows a community proud of its HLM accomplishments alongside those of displaced peoples from other nations—a community now at home in North America, although 60 years ago members were determined to return to Latvia. Keywords: L2, Latvian heritage language revitalization, third space, lingua franca, language immersion, heritage language maintenance.

This report first reviews issues emerging from English usage as a lingua franca, including distinctions among errors and variations in L2 English, attitudes toward L2-accented English, and communication strategies among non-native English speakers. Informed by the English learning as a second language literature, this report provides some suggestions for English teachers in Taiwan to help their students improve interactions with English speakers around the world. These suggestions involve promoting students’ respect for errors and accents in different varieties of English, which is expected to help students improve their own learning habits in order to lower their concerns about their “Taiwanese English.” The suggestions also encourage teachers to integrate issues regarding communication among non-native English speakers into English classes since these issues are often not the focus of traditional English classes in Taiwan. / text

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A lack of English proficiency and failure to use standard phraseology played a role in two of the world’s largest aviation disasters in South Germany and Tenerife, respectively. As a result, the crucial role of effective pilot-ATC (air traffic controller) communication came under scrutiny and measures were put in place to ensure that aviation safety is not jeopardised by language-related problems. For example, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) implemented English language proficiency standards and testing. The study reported in this thesis investigated the use of Aviation English and standard phraseology, which is used in radiotelephony communication by the operational aviation community. Aviation English consists of a range of operationally-relevant language functions and dialogue management, e.g. orders, requests, and offers to act; a blend of formulaic standard phraseology and plain or everyday speech if and when a non-routine situation occurs. Data on pilots’ and ATCs’ perceptions of the role of language in air traffic communication, their perspectives on English as lingua franca in aviation, and English language proficiency standards and testing were collected by means of a questionnaire. The respondents included full-time professional pilots (domestic and international flights), part-time professional pilots and pilots who fly for leisure, and ATCs in Air Traffic Navigation Service units that handle domestic and/or international flights. Recordings of on-site air traffic communication from two airport towers were obtained and were used to study the use of Aviation English and standard phraseology in pilot-ATC communication in South Africa. The results indicated that the majority of pilots and ATCs believe that language-related problems can cause fatal accidents and serious incidents. Pilots and ATCs in South Africa do experience threatening and potentially hazardous situations as a result of communication problems, however, they are confident that communication problems are resolved quickly and successfully in order to avoid accidents. The analysis of the voice recordings correlated with the pilots’ and ATCs’ perceptions that in spite of communication problems (languagerelated and non-language-related) occurring in South African airspace, pilots and ATCs have strategies in place to resolve them effectively and they are also able to use plain English to negotiate understanding and meaning. The majority of the respondents indicated that they agree that English should be used as the lingua franca in aviation around the world and they regard the English language proficiency of South African pilots and ATCs as satisfactory. The majority support ICAO’s English language proficiency standards and testing. The recordings presented a small percentage of transmissions with read-back/hear-back errors, but a substantial number of instances of radio distortions and background noise which interfered with the intelligibility of the transmissions, correlated with the results of the questionnaire. A small percentage of transmissions contained deviations from Aviation English and standard phraseology and/or the use of plain English. The researcher is of the opinion that this initial investigation into Aviation English serves to indicate some avenues for fruitful linguistic investigations into Aviation English and pilot-ATC communication in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ontoereikende taalvaardigheid in Engels en nalating om standaard frases te gebruik, het bygedra tot twee van die ernstigste vliegongelukke in lugvaartgeskiedenis, naamlik in Suid-Duitsland en Tenerife, onderskeidelik. As gevolg van die ongelukke, het die kritieke rol van effektiewe kommunikasie tussen vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers onder die loep gekom, en maatreëls is ingestel om te verseker dat lugvaartveiligheid nie deur taalverwante probleme benadeel word nie. Die Internasionale Burgerlugvaartorganisasie (IBLO) het byvoorbeeld, onder andere, taalvaardigheidsstandaarde en -toetsing vir vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers ingestel. Die studie in hierdie tesis ondersoek die gebruik van Lugvaart-Engels (“Aviation English”) en standaard frases wat in radiokommunikasie deur die operasionele lugvaartgemeenskap gebruik word. Lugvaart-Engels bestaan uit ’n reeks operasioneel-toepaslike taalfunksies en gespreksbestuurmiddels, bv. instruksies, versoeke en ander handelinge; ’n mengsel van formele standaard frases en alledaagse Engels vir gevalle waar buitengewone of nie-roetine situasies hulle voordoen. ’n Vraelys is gebruik om inligting oor vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers se sienings van die rol van taal in lugverkeerleiding in te samel, asook sienings oor die gebruik van Engels as lingua franca in lugverkeer en die IBLO se taalvaardigheidsstandaarde en toetsing vir vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers. Die deelnemers sluit vlieëniers (voltyds en deeltyds, asook private en beroepsvlieëniers) in en lugverkeerleiers in lugverkeernavigasie-eenhede wat binnelandse en internasionale verkeer hanteer. Lewendige opnames wat van twee lughawetorings bekom is, is gebruik om taalverwante en ander kommunikasieprobleme tussen vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers te ondersoek. Die resultate dui daarop dat die meerderheid vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers van mening is dat taalverwante probleme tot noodlottige ongelukke en ernstige insidente kan lei. Daar is verder deur die deelnemers bevestig dat hulle dikwels in gevaarlike situasies beland waar kommunikasieprobleme tot die gevaar bygedra het, maar hulle is van mening dat kommunikasieprobleme in die Suid-Afrikaanse lugruim tydig en effektief opgelos word om ongelukke te vermy. Die opnames het met die bevindings van die vraelys ooreengestem en het aangedui dat, ten spyte van kommunikasieprobleme (taalverwant en nie-taalverwant) in die Suid-Afrikaanse lugruim, vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers oor die vermoë beskik om sodanige probleme vinnig en suksesvol op te los. Dit het ook aan die lig gekom dat vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers in Suid- Afrika daartoe in staat is om in alledaagse Engels te kommunikeer om enige onduidelikheid of buitengewone versoeke en instruksies te hanteer. Die meeste van die deelnemers meen dat vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers in Suid-Afrika se taalvaardigheid in Engels bevredigend is en taalvaardigheidstandaarde en -toetsing word sterk ondersteun. Die lewendige opnames het ’n klein persentasie terugleesfoute bevat, maar ’n groot aantal gevalle van radiosteurings en agtergrondgeraas het met die hoorbaarheid en verstaanbaarheid van die kommunikasie ingemeng, wat met die resultate van die vraelys ooreengestem het. ’n Klein persentasie van die uitsendings het afwykings van Lugvaart-Engels en standaard frases en/of die gebruik van alledaagse Engels bevat. Die navorser is van mening dat hierdie studie die weg baan vir potensiële navorsing binne linguistiek ten opsigte van Lugvaart-Engels en die kommunikasie tussen vlieëniers en lugverkeerleiers in Suid-Afrika.

This qualitative case study examines teachers’ perspectives on receiving and teaching newly arrived immigrant pupils. Previous research and the Swedish National Agency for Education have shown that immigrant pupils have a tendency to fail their education, and some researchers also implied that these children fail their English education. The aim of this essay has been to investigate how English teachers at a secondary school in southern Sweden deal with the growing number of newly arrived immigrants in their classes. The collected data is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with three teachers at a secondary school in Sweden. The results indicate that the teachers considered that it was challenging to receive and teach newly arrived immigrant pupils. They do not have enough information on how they should incorporate these children into subject planning and ongoing pedagogical initiatives. Moreover, the data also show that the participants expressed the fact that the pupils often had a low level of English proficiency, and that they occasionally did not obtain a grade in English. The pupils’ low English level connected with their ongoing Swedish acquisition made it difficult for the teachers to adapt their teaching. The Results also implied that many newly arrived pupils used English as a communication language, which may have a positive impact on their learning.

In his paper “ELF and the alternatives” Ian MacKenzie considers a number of options that are presently under discussion as possible alternatives to the use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Their scope includes translation (a short section of two paragraphs only), code switching, receptive multilingualism, and Esperanto. It is the presentation of the latter approach that I want to address in this comment. As MacKenzie ’s bibliography contains two articles of mine and as these seem to be important sources on which the author bases his argumentation, I suppose that I should react to his paper.

Le ngambai est parlé principalement dans la préfecture du Logone occidental où, phénomène rare au Tchad, à part l’ethnie Ngambai il n’existe pas d’autres ethnies autochtones. Le ngambai tend à être utilisé de plus en plus comme langue véhiculaire par des locuteurs d’autres ethnies.

In his paper “ELF and the alternatives,” Ian MacKenzie considers a number of options that are presently under discussion as possible alternatives to the use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Their scope includes translation (a short section of two paragraphs only), code switching, receptive multilingualism, and Esperanto. It is the presentation of the latter approach that I want to address in this comment. As MacKenzie’s bibliography contains two articles of mine and as these seem to be important sources on which the author bases his argumentation, I suppose that I should react to his paper.

This essay examines the grammar variation of English as a common tongue of two characters from the TV series, Game of Thrones. Scenes from season 1-7 of the series where the characters Irri and Grey Worm spoke the common tongue, English, were transcribed and examined using the concepts of interlanguage (IL) and English as a lingua franca (ELF) as analytic frameworks. The two research questions for this essay are ‘What is grammatical variation of English as a common tongue spoken by two characters, Irri and Grey Worm in the TV series, Game of Thrones?’ and ‘What dramatic effects are perceived with the characters' grammatical variation in the series?’. The results showed that while both characters have features explained by both the IL and ELF frameworks, IL was a more appropriate concept for understanding the data overall. Nevertheless, Irri proved to use more ELF features than Grey Worm in the collected data in which there were more variations by Grey Worm than by Irri. In addition, three dramatic effects of the characters’ grammar variation emerged, namely emotional effect, cultural effect, and development effect. Based on the results, this essay concluded that the characters of Irri and Grey Worm had grammar variations that featured in both IL and ELF, with the majority of them being IL.