ABSTRACT
English as a lingua franca (ELF) is not only a language of international study, trade and research, but also to a great extent the chosen language of communication in social contexts such as in friendships, families and romantic relationships all over the world. So far, only a few studies have delved into ELF as it is used in maintaining long-lasting social relationships and constructing social identities in what could be described as the private social sphere; in friendships (see e.g., Kalocsai’s work on Erasmus Communities of Practice; Kalocsai 2009, 2011, 2014) and in romantic relationships and families (Gundacker 2010; Klötzl 2014; Pietikäinen 2012, 2014, 2016). This chapter investigates ELF in the social sphere, concentrating particularly on intimate, long-term relationships. I start with a literature review on multilingual practices in social ELF and discuss the progress from code-switching to a translanguaging practice that seems to develop in close relationships over time. Then I move on to describing the pragmatics of pre-empting misunderstandings in long-term ELF relationships, in order to offer a more complete understanding of the nature of ELF in social contexts. Lastly, I report on a previously unpublished investigation into the development of social identities linked to ELF that are formed in established intercultural relationships.
