English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and ELF Awareness in Norwegian Schools: A Study of Teachers and Learners in a Local Context
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Abstract
This master’s thesis investigates the perceptions of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and ELF awareness among teachers and learners within a local school context in Norway. The study intends to contribute meaningful perspectives on the contemporary use of English and ELF through the eyes of teachers and learners in school. It examines ELF awareness in a local school among the two primary stakeholders in the classroom, teachers and learners, and compares their views on ELF and how ELF perspectives are integrated into the English subject. Through a combination of individual and focus-group interviews with the learners and teachers, the research identifies the perspectives of local classroom stakeholders regarding English’s role in an increasingly globalized world. Findings reveal that both groups acknowledge English as a global communication tool. However, pupils value English proficiency centered on pronunciation accuracy, vocabulary, and grammar, while teachers place more value on contextually appropriate language. These findings suggest that ELF awareness exists in this local school to a greater degree amongst teachers, but there are tensions for both teachers and learners between the flexible, communicative approach and the native-speaker model in classroom practices. The results of this study highlights the need for continuing to raise ELF awareness and integrating ELF-aware teaching methods that can prepare learners for real-world English communication in the classroom.