March 2021

A dynamic model of ELF communicative competence

If the evolutionary purpose of language is social, then language cannot be reduced to words and grammar rules. Language is not the end but a means to an end. And that end is communication, which refers to not only the knowledge and skills in language use but also of the context and its participants. In […]

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explain simply

We need ELF-ish standards to make English a truly functional and inclusive Lingua Franca

Who owns English? Whose standards? English is the most commonly spoken international language at over 1.1 billion speakers. It has been estimated that of all the English speakers of the world, non-native speakers (NNS) outnumber native speakers (NS) by more than 4 to 1. This means that English is being used more by NNS than

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Bridging the gap between training and education Part 2: Task-based approach to training with principles from the science of learning

What EDU-tainment can be There is another option to commercially constrained training sessions. Training programs can still focus on edutainment but also on using the principles from the science of learning for skill learning and motivating. The next few paragraphs will describe the following image about how learning principles can be applied to training program

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Bridging the gap between training and education Part 1: Why are skills not being learned in training?

Typically, “training” makes people think of practice, skill development and know-how, while “education” brings to mind theory, knowledge and values (Rickman, 2004). Another difference involves measurable objectives and assessment. And yet another involves how captive the learners are and their motivation. Many training programs focus on demonstrated and participant structured practice. Often, the training is

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