Do you speak ELF? La mediazione nella provincia di Lecce

This chapter investigates the use of pragmatic strategies in mediated encounters between migrants and Italian authorities, when English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is used as a means to bridge the linguistic differences between the two parties involved. Reference to 'outer circle' English (Kachru 1985) is made which is contrasted with the theory put forward by Graddol in which the distinction between native/non-native speaker is replaced by categories classified according to language competency. This is applied to the context of immigration in connection with the varieties spoken by migrants and mediators. Case studies of instances of accommodation and negotiation, or lack of it, are analyzed to verify if language authentication occurs and how effective it is in drawing the diverse socio-linguistic and pragma-cultural schemata closer together in ELF discourse.