World Englishes and Lingua Franca: Rethinking English Language Teaching in the Classroom

Abstract

This paper examines English as a lingua franca (ELF) within the framework of World Englishes. It reviews Kachru’s model and highlights its contribution to the recognition of English in its global use. The paper also highlights the limitations of the model in representing the complex realities of global English use. It focuses on English language teaching and critiques the native versus non-native dichotomy. The paper explores which variety of English should be taught in classrooms, emphasizing that learner needs and communicative effectiveness should guide the contemporary ELT (English Language Teaching) practices and that they are more important than adhering to the native-speaker norm.