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
Manually coded English Manually coded English Manually-Coded English (MCE) is an umbrella term used to describe a range of various forms of sign language which follow direct spoken English language. The different codes of MCE vary in the levels of direct following of spoken English grammar. There may also be a combination with other visual clues such as body language. MCE is typically used in conjunction with direct spoken English. MCE or speaking and signing at the same time has been labeled many terms—including Total Communication, Simultaneous Communication (SimCom), Signed English, Manually-Coded English, Sign Supported Speech, and Sign Supported English, none of which