Framed in exploratory action research, this article reports on an experience carried out at an initial English teacher education (IELTE) programme in Argentina. A?group of four tutors noticed their student-teachers' demotivation to complete written coursework. On exploring this issue, it was found that lack of authenticity of audience in writing…

The unprecedented rise of English to become a global lingua franca has sparked a growing academic interest with numerous research publications on global Englishes, English as a lingua franca, and English as an international language. Although this research has led to numerous informative findings concerning pronunciation, pragmatics, and…

This paper explores the applications of pattern grammar and local grammar in English language teaching, focusing specifically on the design of teaching materials. It shows that grammar patterns can be systematically analysed from a local grammar perspective, and further argues that the practice of local grammar analyses helps to raise language…

Although the importance of critical thinking (CT) has been stressed in English language education, little attention has been paid to language teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding CT during the pre-service stage of their careers. Drawing on data from a focus group and follow-up email interviews with pre-service language teachers, this…

Online and hybrid courses offer many benefits for ESL teacher education, but can be hampered by 'transactional distance', a lack of interpersonal closeness which can cause misunderstanding and disengagement. This article describes a pedagogical project in which in-service teachers studying in a distance-learning MA TESL programme in Sri Lanka…

There has been an increasing professional and policy interest in using formative assessment as part of the learning process in the classroom, with increasing numbers of educators regarding it as an effective means of closing the gap between students' current and desired performance. However, there is a range of different views on what actually…

The concept of English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the subject of much theoretical discussion and debate within ELT. However, little has been written concerning the history of ideas preceding it. This article discusses the concept of 'neutral English' proposed in 1967 by the writer L.?A. Hill. After summarizing Hill's life and work, the article…

In ELT contexts, the concept of ELF awareness has been proposed as a means of developing the skills, strategies, and overall outlook that learners require to competently participate in ELF interactions. Depending on the teaching context, this can be a demanding process. We discuss the ELF-aware instructional interventions carried out by two…

English as a lingua franca (ELF) is a recent paradigm in ELT which acknowledges non-native varieties in their own right and NNSs as having their own unique characteristics rather than assessing them against an NS benchmark. Despite the changing needs of today's English language learners, there is little research on how to integrate ELF into…

Teachers play a crucial role in the implementation of an English as a lingua franca (ELF) perspective in the classroom. However, little research has been conducted on what challenges teachers might encounter and what types of support are needed to teach English from an ELF perspective. This study thus explores the experiences of seven primary…

The growing relevance of research in English as a lingua franca (ELF) for ELT has led to a need to rethink the way we approach English in the language classroom and to reassess how we configure knowledge about language in teacher education. This article reports on a joint project initiated in 2017 at King's College London (UK) and the University…

Although a significant number of practitioners are being progressively exposed to English as a lingua franca (ELF) research findings and developments, we still face the challenge of bringing ELF into the ELT classroom in a more systematic way and on a regular basis. It is a fact that once EFL learners move into contexts of use outside the…

The present study explores whether/how CLIL practice at primary English language classrooms raises English language teachers' awareness towards their language use from an English as a lingua franca (ELF)-aware perspective. English language teachers in a CLIL program completed a survey about their classroom practice and their opinions about their…

The notion of English as a multilingua franca (EMF) positions English within multilingualism, and EMF awareness prepares students to communicate effectively in this multilingual world of mobility. The present paper explores how, if ever, EMF-aware pedagogic intervention influences Japanese students' perceptions of their communicative practices,…

The article discusses ELF-aware pedagogy as a possible way to integrate English as a lingua franca (ELF) in English language classrooms and explores the extent to which task-based language teaching (TBLT) could contribute to this end. ELF-aware pedagogy involves enriching teaching practices with appropriate metalinguistic and reflective activities…