ELF in international supervision: a nexus analysis approach

Abstract

Abstract In the literature on professional international consulting, the use of a foreign language (such as English) is typically cast as problematic and as an obstacle to successful intervention. In this article, we present evidence to the contrary, showing that conducting a specific form of professional consulting called ‘supervision’ in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) can be beneficial rather than detrimental to the outcome. We analyze data of one international supervision event using the ethnographic framework of ‘nexus analysis’ (Scollon and Scollon 2004). Nexus analysis operates by investigating how macro-level societal discourses (e.g. professional discourses of supervision) and cultural tools (e.g. the use of ELF) interplay in and mediate local moments of interaction. In our case, using ELF in international supervision can slow down the process, which in turn is actually an important intervention strategy in supervision because it facilitates reflection work and is thus conducive to positive outcomes. We argue that nexus analysis is well poised to investigate the effects of such interplay of ELF use and societal (professional) discourses on the ground. Further, conducting studies that show the benefits of ELF use in supervision can ultimately engender more positive attitudes among professionals in this regard.