The monster and the zombie: English as a lingua franca and the Latin analogy

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses how current sociolinguistic research in ELF, a comparison of English and Latin as linguae francae (the Latin analogy) and language teaching can be drawn upon to bring the phenomenon of ELF to the attention of young language users and learners in order to help them understand what is happening in the linguistic world around them. The discussion involves considerations of the following issues: (1) the emotionally charged debates, both academically and publicly, of English as a lingua franca; (2) sociolinguistic research on English as a lingua franca; (3) the Latin analogy, making reference to the historical development of Latin as an indicator for the future development of English; (4) the integration of sociolinguistic issues such as the use of English as a lingua franca into the language curriculum; and (5) the development of cross-curricular language teaching units.