ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: What are the disparities between the rapidly evolving use of English and English taught in Japanese universities? EFL ideology upheld native-speaker (NS) standards for non-NS learner’s repertoire by focusing on errors and deficiencies in classroom pedagogy. Emerging out of the realization that most Japanese students will have greater opportunities to interact with other NNS, English as a lingua franca (ELF) -informed pedagogy focuses on communicative and strategic competence without adherence to NS norms. According to Räisänen’s trajectory framework, EFL and ELF are still a part of the buildup toward successful communicative effectiveness and intercultural competence in English as a business lingua franca (BELF) (Räisänen 2013, Ehrenreich 2016). This paper argues for inclusion of BELF into ELF-informed curriculum and prepare students with key global competence skills in business English and in deeper learning skills, 21st century skills and communication strategies prior to entering the professional world and produce competent BELF communicators.
