A shift in ELT perspective: World Englishes and ELF in the EFL classroom

The socio-linguistic consequences of the current role of English in the world are reflected in the most recent research studies in the field of English as a Lingua Franca and of World Englishes. These studies bear significant implications for English language teaching and require both a careful rethinking and a new design in language planning, particularly in foreign/second language curricula, course-book and classroom materials and language tasks. The teaching of English should be oriented at fostering language and (inter)cultural awareness, as well as the use of effective communicative strategies in the classroom, in order to develop effective communicators in today’s world, where English is increasingly employed as a LF among speakers of different linguacultures. This contribution illustrates the shift in perspective required within a new WE and ELF aware approach in the ELT classroom and in teacher education courses. Exemplifications of teaching activities devised by ELT teachers in an in-service WE and ELF aware training course will also be described and discussed.