English as a lingua franca

English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the use of the English language "as a global means of inter-community communication"[1][2] and can be understood as "any use of English among speakers of different first languages for whom English is the communicative medium of choice and often the only option".[3][4] ELF is "defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to native-speaker norms"[5] whereas English as a second or foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and gives prominence to native-speaker cultural aspects.[6] While lingua francas have been used for centuries, what makes ELF a novel phenomenon is the extent to which it is used in spoken,[7] written[8] and in computer-mediated communication.[9] ELF research focuses on the pragmatics of variation which is manifest in the variable use of the resources of English for a wide range of globalized purposes, in important formal encounters such as business transactions, international diplomacy and conflict resolution, as well as in informal exchanges between international friends.[10]