American or British English?
This is an outdated debate based on a false dichotomy. Professor Jenkins employs the term “World Englishes” to refer to all the varieties of English that we can find in the world. Thus, this binary opposition between American and British English responds to the power of hegemonic, dominant ideologies. This false dichotomy promotes both a monocentric view of English based on American or British norms and also the interests of imperialism. It is important to be aware that linguistic imperialism works in native speakers’ interests and often marginalises non-native speakers.
What type of English is used for communication?
English as Lingua Franca refers to English when it is used as a means of communication among speakers of different native languages. It is the language of trade, science, politics, conferences and business English. According to this perspective, to be an effective user of English you need to:
- Adjust your English: The ability to adjust your speaking for the benefit of your communication partner. It is more important to be able to adjust your English than to mimic a native speaker of English.
- Be flexible in the way you speak so that people can understand you.
- Train your ears so as to be able to understand people who speak English in a way you don’t speak it.
- Expect people to go into other languages (using words from their mother tongues).
- Avoid miscommunication by using different techniques (paraphrasing, checking comprehension, making yourself understood, repeating problematic words, asking for clarification).
For more details, you may watch the following videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvWCqvxK9Hg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xmJxKO5INE
