English as a Lingua Franca Among Adolescents: Transcultural Pragmatics in a German-Tanzanian School Setting - Paperback

by Katharina Beuter (Author)

This volume is not only the first book-length investigation into adolescents' use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), it also explores ELF in an African-European context, which has received little attention in ELF research so far.

The book examines the interplay between language, culture and identity in adolescents' ELF interactions. It combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore strategies secondary school students employ in a German-Tanzanian student exchange in order to reach their communicative goals. Introducing and drawing on the TeenELF corpus, the book investigates the speaker- and situation-specific potential of repetition and repair, complimenting, laughter and humour as well as various practices of translanguaging. The study reveals ELF as a transcultural space, in which different linguacultural influences meet and merge, while meaning, rapport and identity are interactionally negotiated.

In the face of an increasing interest in ELF-informed pedagogy, the present approach investigates the communicative needs and competences of school students and derives both theoretical as well as classroom implications from its linguistic findings.

Back Jacket

This book explores the interplay between language, culture and identity in adolescents' interactions in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). It investigates the communicative strategies of secondary school students taking part in a German-Tanzanian exchange and evaluates the implications for teaching and learning. ELF is revealed as a transcultural space where various linguacultural influences meet and merge in processes of negotiating meaning, rapport and identity. The volume breaks new ground in that it presents, for the first time, a book-length investigation of adolescents' use of ELF. Moreover, it explores ELF in an African-European setting, which has received little attention in ELF research so far.

Author Biography

Katharina Beuter, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.