Abstract

Transcultural communicative practices (TCPs) have become increasingly important in English language pedagogy due to the growing number of multilingual and multicultural educational settings. In this study, I theoretically appraise these practices and place them in the context of English as a lingua franca (ELF) and transcultural communication in the English language classroom. Drawing on Takkula et alii’s (2008) claim that all people are products of their native culture and mother tongue from the moment of birth, the paper argues that language students must be educated to overcome their culture-bound assumptions and beliefs and acquire the necessary skills for transcultural exchanges and to this end, ELF is a valuable transcultural communication tool. The benefits and challenges of such practices are also discussed. The benefits for students include enhanced critical thinking, improved communication skills, and increased cultural sensitivity, whereas the challenges include class time constraints, cultural differences, and language barriers. The study concludes with some hints that English language teachers and practitioners can customize and put into practice to implement TCPs in their classrooms and promote students transcultural understanding and communication.

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