English as a lingua franca the fore. English as a lingua franca English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the use of the English language as "a common means of communication for speakers of different first languages". ELF is also "defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to native-speaker norms" whereas English as a foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and gives prominence to native speaker cultural aspects. While lingua francas have been used for centuries, what makes ELF a novel phenomenon is the extent to which it is used – both functionally and geographically. A
AP Italian Language and Culture reinstated in the fall of 2011, with the first AP Italian Exam scheduled for May 2012. The AP Italian Language and Culture course focuses on developing students' reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, all framed in order to reflect the richness of Italian language and culture. Teachers of the course will interweave the language structure with cultural content. The examination tests students' abilities to successfully use three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. The five ultimate goals of the exam are communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and community. In the 2012 administration, 1,806 students took the exam, with a mean