ABSTRACT
Far from being simply the language of science or the world’s default means of communication, English takes on multi-faceted roles worldwide, and defies gross generalisation or easy description. This chapter addresses questions about the present and future roles of English, from the apparently simple issue of speaker numbers through to an assessment of political and social factors and analysis of the characteristics of English in its role as lingua franca.
The assumption of homogeneity and claims regarding native speakers are questioned and the optimism surrounding the English as a lingua franca movement is examined. Problems concerning the pragmatics of international communication and discourse/historical elements in linguistic interactions are raised, with a view to evaluating the concept of an international or universal tongue. Finally, the chapter suggests that lingual abilities and trans-linguistic skills will be equally important, and any lingua franca will need to be emergent and complex to be sustainable.
