Brief Introduction to English as Lingua Franca and Its Inspiration on Chinese Tertiary Foreign Language Education

Abstract：With the development of economic globalization and regional integration，the status of English as Lingua Franca has been further strengthened.This paper intends to reveal the reason behind such kind of phenomenon and explores its inspiration on tertiary foreign language education in China.

Key words：ELF；tertiary foreign language education；China；inspiration；

1.The historical development of ELF

The concept of Lingua Franca has produced several hundred years.In the history of human beings，Arabic，Greek，Latin，Portuguese and Sanskrit have been separately used as Lingua Franca at different historical periods.In the 1980s，the German scholars named Hullen and Knapp referred the importance of ELF as English teaching objective to the issue of English pedagogy.In the early period o 21st century，Jenkins and Seidlhofer made great contribution to the study of ELF.As for Jenkins，she conducted empirical studies of phonological features of ELF，which was mentioned by Knapp in 1985.as for Seidlhofer，she proposed that any realistic descriptions of ELFs use didnt exist in academia，which caused the phenomenon that non-native English speakers ignored they are the users and creators of English other than followers of native speakers norms Whats more，Barbara Seidlhofers research team established an ELF corpus named VOICE.In addition，from 2008 to now，the international conference of ELF has been held for 8 times.

2.The definition and features of ELF

Globalization of English results a phenomenon that the population of non-native speakers is much more than that of native English speakers.Which means，in Kachrus framework of the concentric circles of English，that the population of expanding circle and outer circle is much more than that of inner circle.Non-native English speakers English can be different from native English speakers norm.This kind of varied English using instance doesnt mean non-native English speakers deficiency in English.Non-native English speakers are neither English learners nor failed native speakers.Instead，they are practical and proficient communicators and users of English by means of taking advantages from different kinds of linguistic resource.ELF emphasized more on the use of language，especially in specific circumstances.Whats more，it pays more attention to the function of English rather than its linguistic form.In other words，scholars believing ELF hold that communicative efficiency is more important than linguistic accuracy.

3.Current problems in Chinese tertiary foreign language education

There are four problems existing in Chinese tertiary foreign language education.First of all，it is about the contradiction of classification of foreign languages between basic education and higher education.To put it more specifically，classification and number of foreign languages at the stage of basic education is too single.It goes against the multilingual need at the stage of higher education.The incoherence of foreign language teaching between basic education and higher education goes secondly.Thirdly，it is that the number of teachers of EGP（English for General Purpose）is more than that of teachers of ESP（English for Special Purpose）.Another issue is about the incoherent foreign language testing systems between college entrance exam and different kinds of rank examinations.

4.Critical analysis of its reason

Institutional inertia has contributed a lot to the failure of tertiary foreign language education in China.Teaching English has had a long history.Its hard to transform the fact of long-term existing education system immediately.In addition，there are some cultural and psychological factors.Since the implementation of the Opening-up and Reform policy，China has been pursuing for some western countries economic power，especially those of America and Britain.Whats more，power and economic factors cant be ignored.In China，different educational institutions and departments spare their all efforts to establishing their own language testing systems for benefits and advantages of economy and power.While，different foreign countries pursue the same way.

5.ELFS inspiration to Chinese tertiary foreign language education

Firstly，tertiary English education should adopt the multiple English view based on ELF.Therefore，in context of instructional teaching，English teachers should wave off the outdated and inappropriate view of native speakers norm and adapt themselves to multiple English teaching materials.Meanwhile，requirements and standards of linguistic competence of English should be adapted.Learners should get rid of the framework of native speakers norm.The teaching objective of English emphasizes more on speakers skillful communicative ability in multilingual context rather than appropriate linguistic forms like native speakers.Whats more，teaching contents also should be changed.In the view of ELF，English learners learning materials should both include contents of British and American culture and that of other countries like ones in Africa and Asia.In addition，as for the evaluation standard for listening and speaking，students practical accommodation shill weights more than other skills like native-like pronunciation.

References

[1]Canagarajah，S.2007.Lingua franca Englsh，multilingual communities，and language acquisition [J].The Modern Language Journal（2007 Focus Issue）：923-39.

[2]Jenkinns，J.2006.Current perspectives on teaching World Englishes and English as lingua franca [J].TESOL Quarterly 40（1）：157-81.

[3]Kachru，B.1992.The Other Tongue：English Across Cultures（2nd ed.）[M].Urbana & Chicago：University of Illinois Press.

Seidlhofer，B.2004.Research perspectives on teaching English as a lingua franca [J].Annual Review of Applied linguistics（24）：219-39.

作者簡介

趙蘭，湖南邵東人，現(xiàn)攻讀于云南師范大學外國語學院外國語言學及應(yīng)用語言學專業(yè)碩士研究生。

（作者單位：云南師范大學外國語學院）