ABSTRACT
English as a lingua franca (ELF) is deeply intercultural both as a means of communication and as a research field. However, until recently there has been surprisingly little crossover between the fields of ELF research and intercultural communication research. Given that English used as a lingua franca is presently likely to be the most common medium of intercultural communication, it is a concern that there has been so little uptake of ELF research in intercultural communication literature, and that where it has been discussed it has often been marginalised and misrepresented. The use of English as the predominant global language makes it a prime site for both empirical and theoretical investigations of intercultural issues. Furthermore, language choices are not trivial in intercultural communication and the extensive use of English needs proper scholarly attention.
