Plurilingual communication in elf talk. From exploration to Application of elf-oriented perspectives

Speakers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds have increasingly come into contact on a global scale and have adopted English as a contact language, a lingua franca, in contexts
where the language is used for various communicative purposes. It is observed that multilingual speakers, belonging to different “linguacultural backgrounds”(Cogo, Dewey
2012), draw on a variety of linguistic repertoires which are dynamically and creatively exploited and modified during the interaction. As a consequence, innovative
forms emerge, therefore offering unique insights to researchers and scholars interested in the study of ELF communication. In the present paper, one aspect of ELF communication will
be emphasized; the “accommodation” strategies employed by ELF speakers when they negotiate meaning. In particular, attention will be given to “repair strategies” (Kaur
2011) and “cognates” (Hülmbauer2011) in ELF interactionalpractices. The aim is to show the “mutually supportive nature” (Seidlhofer2001) of such strategies but also how the negotiation processes at work are responsible
for new lingua franca features. More in depth investigation into the underlying linguistic and cognitive processes which contribute to the meaning
-making process in ELF communication will be suggested.It is believed that an enhanced knowledge of ELF theoretical concepts and empirical findingswill provide new insights
into ELT practices where the role of English as a lingua franca is largely underestimated (Dewey2011). Results of the initial phase of a pilot study will be presented with the purpose
to highlight that teachers’ awareness of ELF features may contribute to reduce the gap between how teachers perceive language and communication and how real communication in the global English world currently takes place.
The need to re-examine traditional methodological practices and encourage teachers to engage with an ELF-oriented perspectivewill be therefore highlighted.