ABSTRACT
For many people, English may even be a third or fourth or fifth language, meaning that they learned it later in their education, only after they learned the native languages indigenous to their home region, as is often the case in settings in Africa and Europe, for example, and for some speakers in Asia, such as in the Philippines. The language scientists Jennifer Jenkins published a scientific book and several scientific articles based on her work with international students at King’s College, London. Refusing to refer to English as a “second language,” which implies a learner’s language, she used the term “English as an International Language.” This term was replaced within a few years by “English as a Lingua Franca.” Jenkins’ findings led her to suggest a bold but controversial proposal: that English language learners need targeted training to help them learn the specific phonological skills that will make them more intelligible in lingua franca settings.
