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The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics
[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 25, No. 0, pp.311-329
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Jan 2025
Received 12 Aug 2024 Revised 10 Feb 2025 Accepted 08 Mar 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.25..202503.311

Korean Business Professionals’ Language Attitudes Towards English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)

Kanghee Lee
Professor, Division of English Language and Literature Korea National University of Transportation kangheelee0919@ut.ac.kr


© 2025 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study investigates the language attitudes and perceptions of Korean business professionals with extensive experience in intercultural communication, focusing on their views of English as a lingua franca (ELF) from the perspective of sociocultural theory. Using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with nine Korean business professionals, the findings reveal three key themes: 1) perceptions of nativeness, 2) prioritisation of accommodation, and 3) conflicting views on ELF. While participants emphasised the importance of fluency in ELF, they did not equate fluency with native-like proficiency. Instead, they prioritised the ability to convey ideas in a more explicit and intelligible way over achieving a native-like accent or pronunciation. Participants also acknowledged linguistic diversity in ELF communication and skillfully employed both productive and receptive accommodation strategies. From a sociocultural theory perspective, ongoing social interactions and activities allow speakers to refine their actions and mediate relationships with others. The findings indicate that ELF speakers’ increasing intercultural experiences foster more flexible and accommodative linguistic behaviours, enhancing their awareness of language diversity and complexity in ELF contexts.

Keywords:

ELF, language attitudes, sociocultural theory, nativeness, accommodation, intercultural sensitivity

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