English as a Lingua Franca in Latin American Education

Book excerpt: ELF researchers have been describing the dynamic and fluid ways in which multilingual speakers shape English in transcultural communication for more than two decades now. While this work seriously challenges traditional, static, and prejudiced views of English, the diverse and variable nature of its uses and users continues to be undermined in many EFL programs around the world. This is also the case in many Latin American contexts, which have been described as fertile ground for native-speaker ideology, but where the body of ELF literature is still scarce when compared to Asian and European settings. This book is the first to bring together a series of empirical studies on the implications of ELF perspectives for communicative, educational, and policy-making practices across different Latin American countries. It not only explores how ELF perspectives can inform students and educators in these settings, but also how locally emerging voices, experiences, and research traditions can help expand ELF theorising as well. The volume generates new opportunities for dialogue and global collaboration between researchers and practitioners interested in ELF studies as a critical approach to English language use and education.