English is a heterogeneous language which has been adopted internationally to the extent that, from a global perspective, English as a lingua franca (ELF) rather than English as a native language is more characteristic of English use in universities. The presenter will contend that in order for genuine democratic participation to be achieved for students and researchers whose cultural backgrounds and social identities are not inseparably linked with the language, it is appropriate to question the assumption that English as it is used by native speakers is the only legitimate, proper, or correct English. Accordingly, in relation to the teaching of English as an additional language, the presenter will advocate the use of both ELF-aware objectives, which prioritize intelligibility, and ELF-aware processes, which emphasize accommodation and adaptation. Such practices neither prescribe integration nor reinforce perceptions of difference.
