Open Lecture Information

Title:

“Adopting a translingual and social justice perspective in BELF education”

Lecturer:

Dr. Alessia Cogo

Goldsmith, University of London

Day and Time:

Friday, December 16th, 2022, 4:30 pm –6:00 pm

Venue:

Bldg. 3 Room #601 (Waseda Campus)

Admission:

Free and open to everyone

Language:

English (no translation)

Abstract:

Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF) is a well established research area which has
produced very interesting work in both sociolinguistic and pedagogic direction. Its impact was
particularly prominent at the beginning of ELF research: findings showed the fluidity and
flexibility of BELF practices, including multilingual and intercultural aspects in the workplace,
and the open-minded orientation to norms, including moving away from native speaker
normativity. The emphasis on multilingual resources in BELF is often referred to as ‘inherently
potentially multilingual’, but its multilingual potential is not always recognized or even
represented as an asset.
In this talk, I will explore how a translanguaging perspective could contribute to BELF
and BELF education. I will report on the findings of previous BELF studies I have been
involved in and a current research project, which highlight the potential of translanguaging for
developing BELF. Through the analysis of sociolinguistic conversations and attitudinal
interview data, I will explore the tensions between multilingual ad-hoc practices and
monolingual/ native-like representations and ideologies in the workplace. I will then attempt
to address some of these from an educational perspective and provide some orientation as to
how a translanguaging perspective could benefit BELF and BELF education.

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