Plurilingualism, Multilingualism, and Lingua Franca English in Today's Globalised World

Abstract

We live in a multilingual world where English serves as the language of international communication. It permeates every sphere of life, from education to trade, from employment to scientific literature. However, parallel to English as the lingua franca of worldwide exchange, several other languages co-exist and overlap in our multilingual and multicultural society. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the central role of plurilingualism as a way to support multilingualism and linguistic diversity but also as a very important means to enhance cognitive abilities, including metalinguistic awareness. It also considers the prominent role of English as the shared language of worldwide interaction. The ultimate aim of this study is to encourage reflection on a new vision of language teaching, which fosters knowledge of languages as a primary source of social and individual benefits, and, at the same time, focuses on lingua franca English for effective communication in the global society.