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University Students’ Attitudes towards English as a Lingua Franca in a Multilingual Sustainable Society

Author

Listed:
  • Yuntao Zeng

    (Faculty of Education, The University of Macau, Macau 999078, China)

  • Matthew P. Wallace

    (Faculty of Arts and Humanities, The University of Macau, Macau 999078, China)

  • Chun-Wai Fan

    (Faculty of Education, The University of Macau, Macau 999078, China)

  • Yawei Guo

    (School of Studies in Fundamental Education, South China Normal University, Shanwei 516625, China)

Abstract

The present study investigated Macao university students’ attitudes towards English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Macao maintains a diverse multilingual society, with speakers from several cultures converging into one city for work and travel. Traditionally, the common languages of communication have been Chinese and Portuguese, due to Macao’s historical connection with both mainland China and Portugal. However, with the development of tourism and economy, English has become a lingua franca in the city. Despite this, it is unclear what attitudes are held about ELF and whether these attitudes may differ according to academic interest, academic background, and experience with intercultural communication. To address this need, 303 university students completed a survey measuring attitudes towards ELF on five dimensions. Afterwards, nine participants were interviewed to expand on their survey responses. The descriptive results indicated that in general Macao university students’ attitudes towards ELF were positive in many aspects, but also included conservative attitudes. Results from t -tests showed that English minors, local Macao students, and students who have overseas intercultural communication experience held more positive attitudes towards ELF than English majors, mainland Chinese students, and those without overseas experience, respectively. Implications for English teaching in Macao are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuntao Zeng & Matthew P. Wallace & Chun-Wai Fan & Yawei Guo, 2022. "University Students’ Attitudes towards English as a Lingua Franca in a Multilingual Sustainable Society," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:8:p:4435-:d:789501
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jack Pun & Nathan Thomas & Neil Evan Jon Anthony Bowen, 2022. "Questioning the Sustainability of English-Medium Instruction Policy in Science Classrooms: Teachers’ and Students’ Experiences at a Hong Kong Secondary School," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuntao Zeng & Qiuxia Lu & Matthew P. Wallace & Yawei Guo & Chun-Wai Fan & Xiaofei Chen, 2022. "Understanding Sustainable Development of English Vocabulary Acquisition: Evidence from Chinese EFL Learners," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, May.

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