It is quite clear to us that English has assumed a significant status in the global economy. Most international commercial transactions adopt English as their language. International organizations, for example, the World Bank and the OECD, also use it. In light of this fact, I invite readers to think. Consider the factors that favor the predominance of a common contact language for commercial, political, and social relations.

We are facing a knowledge-based economy. It is called the non-material economy. In this economy, English is a necessary linguistic and communicative skill in the production process. So, English is considered a means of production in activities like teleworking and screen-based labor. International companies develop these activities by engaging in producing and manipulating intellectual property. These knowledge-intensive industries have risen significantly in recent decades and belong to the third sector of the world economy.

This new global economic system is imbued with new technologies and the spread of electronic media. It has led to a transnationalization of the English language. As a result, global economic activities today are notoriously mediated by English as the lingua franca of these negotiations.

Lingua franca (or contact language) is a term of Latin origin. It refers to a common language used for contact and communication between linguistically distinct groups. This occurs for international trade and other political and social interactions. Historically, lingua franca like Latin, French, and Portuguese arose for commercial, diplomatic, and administrative reasons. They also served as a resource for the exchange of information between scientists and scholars of different nationalities.

The National Common Guidelines (BNCC, 2018) document has been implemented in Brazilian school curricula. It takes the view that English is a lingua franca. Under this conception, the understanding is that English is disconnected from the notion of belonging to a particular territory. As a result, it is also detached from the typical cultures of specific communities. These communities legitimize its uses in their local contexts.

Also according to the BNCC, the English language is no longer that of the “foreigner” from hegemonic countries. Speakers from these countries no longer serve as a model to be followed. It is not a variant of the English language. From this perspective, speakers all over the world welcome its use. These speakers have different linguistic and cultural repertoires. This acceptance legitimizes the uses and makes it possible to question the view. The belief is challenged. It suggests that the only “correct” English—and the only one to be taught—is that spoken by Americans or Britons. In this sense, English assumes its status as a lingua franca. It materializes in hybrid uses marked by fluidity. The language is open to the invention of new ways of saying. Pluri/multilingual speakers and their multicultural characteristics drive this evolution. Thus, the English language has become a symbolic asset for speakers all over the world.

Finally, we believe this is a debate that needs to take place in educational spaces today. It addresses emergency issues that directly show in the teaching of English in school classrooms. This is especially important. It is now a compulsory curricular subject in the final years of primary and secondary education. We assume that English language teachers in initial education on degree courses should start dialogues. Teachers working in public and private education should also engage in these conversations. Together, they can consider the political and pedagogical implications of teaching English as a lingua franca.

Reference:

Brasil (2018). Base Nacional Comum Curricular, Ministério da Educação.