Recent research calls for a re-structuring of higher education (HE) beyond English medium orientations by acknowledging the plurilingual resources of students and lecturers. In the Netherlands there is a rapid rise in plurilingual lecturers. The central question is to what extent these lecturers make use of their plurilingual resources for…

It has been repeatedly asserted in recent years that telecollaboration is such a powerful and effective tool for both second language acquisition (SLA) and fostering intercultural communication competence (ICC) that it should be regularly included in foreign language instruction (Çiftçi & Savas, 2018; Lewis & O'Dowd, 2016a; O'Dowd, 2016a;…

The author reports on a qualitative investigation of the language attitudes of multilingual British South Asian English language teachers. Data are drawn from both interviews and focus groups to demonstrate the participants underlying conception of language and their awareness and attitudes toward Indian English and how they coalesce their…

Bilingualism characterizes people in linguistically heterogeneous settlements like Nairobi among other urban centres in Kenya. But the country is also predominantly rural (where you find people of a common language settled in one geographical rural region) in which mother tongues are primary means of communication. Children in lower primary in…

Perhaps it is inevitable that non-native speakers' English articulations are displayed with their local accents, which are usually based on their mother tongues or dominant languages. However, fluency in English pronunciation and communication is still achievable by these groups of speakers in outer and expanding circles. In these two circles,…

To study the success of an international event handling in Thailand with a focus on the area of mutual communication, this paper aimed to shed light on how English is used as a lingua franca among the local Thai working team and the organizer team who are non-native speakers from different language backgrounds to achieve their mutual understanding…

This study investigates the plasticity of phonological boundaries during discourse in a "lingua franca." We tracked the production of 34 Spanish learners of English conversing with two Dutch confederates in English across two speech styles, focusing on incremental changes in two key English vowel contrasts with differential effects of…

This paper analyses the controversial discourses around the significance of the Arabic language in Eritrea. It challenges the arguments of the government and some scholars, who claim that the Arabic language is alien to Eritrean society. They argue that it was introduced as an official language under British rule and is only spoken by the Rashaida…

Many African countries exhibit complex patterns of language use because of linguistic pluralism. The situation is often compounded by the presence of at least one foreign language that is either the official or second language. The language situation in Botswana depicts this complex pattern. Out of the 26 languages spoken in the country, including…

This article considers the dynamic relationship between language policies, practices and ideologies in a multilingual Facebook group in Luxembourg. The group under focus, "Free Your Stuff Luxembourg", was created to facilitate the cost-free exchange of consumer goods between members located in Luxembourg. The article traces the…

As a result of globalisation and the European integration process, identity concepts of young Europeans are becoming more and more diverse and possibly heterogeneous. The factors that influence the development of identity formation and impact on identity constructions are complex--but language seems to be of central importance. It is generally…

In many language policy and political theory discussions, there is an overt skepticism, and at times outright hostility, towards the ongoing maintenance of private and, especially, public multilingualism, particularly when these include/incorporate the languages of linguistic minorities. For linguistic minority individuals, ongoing multilingualism…

In this paper, I will explore how links between migration, official language proficiency and labour market needs are being forged within the context of an increasing neoliberal agenda for immigration. Specifically, I will examine how the stated need for immigrant labour has made the official language proficiency of newcomers a site of increasing…

Post-war education is usually considered a positive contributor to peacebuilding; however, it can also reinforce divisive perspectives. Textbooks and learning materials can be instrumental in maintaining or exacerbating existing inequalities. This paper uses case study literature reviews of Afghanistan, South Sudan and Sri Lanka to explore the…

Kinyarwanda, the national official language used by the population of Rwanda, was greatly affected by the tragic history that faced the country. The 13th annual national dialogue held at Kigali from 21st to 22nd December 2015, recommended the government of Rwanda, to put in place all measures to enhance and maintain the above mentioned language.…