Lingua Franca – Although native speakers often find it

Although native speakers often find it unacceptable for a non-native speaker to drop the “s” in the third person, Jennifer argues that this is not the meaning of the language for a non-native speaker. Jennifer argues that when English is used by non-native speakers, it is used differently and therefore sounds different. With this in mind, should teachers change their approach to teaching English? For Jennifer, teachers need to consider students’ goals at the beginning of the course. Jennifer explains that ELF describes English when it is used as a common method of communication for people with different native languages. She says this is because English has spread to many other parts of the world: it is spoken as a second language in many countries. It is estimated that about 75 percent of the people who use English in the world are non-native speakers. For example, native English speakers may see these differences as errors that need to be corrected. Of course, it is perfectly normal for students living in an English-speaking country to want to integrate with the native population. If it was Latin in the past, could it be different in the future? Jennifer says it will probably remain English for the foreseeable future. Jennifer is professor emeritus of global English at the University of Southampton. She has noticed that when they have had problems understanding each other’s English, they have adapted and adjusted their use of the language very quickly. For Jennifer, the question is not so much how many people speak a particular language, but whether it has spread and influenced other parts of the world. For example, a person from Sweden speaking English as a second language to a person from Germany. She began her career as an English teacher in the 1980s. From this perspective, Jennifer says, it is much more helpful for students to know how to adapt and tailor their language to different situations.