English as a Lingua Franca in the Context of a Sociolinguistic Typology of Contact Languages

doi:10.1017/9781108675000.005

2 - English as a Lingua Franca in the Context of a Sociolinguistic Typology of Contact Languages

from Part I - Pooling Perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 December 2020

William Croft

Edited by

Anna Mauranen and

Svetlana Vetchinnikova

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Anna Mauranen: Affiliation:
University of Helsinki
Svetlana Vetchinnikova: Affiliation:
University of Helsinki

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Summary

Different types of language evolve in situations of human social contact depending on the nature of the social contact, social structure and the speakers' attitudes towards the societies in contact. Three socially defined language types, each forming a continuum, are useful for classifying contact languages: esoteric languages, used for communication within a speech community; exoteric languages, used for communication between different speech communities; and neogenic languages, used when speech communities merge to form a new society. Lingua francas serve two different types of function in this sociolinguistic typology, and move from one function to the other. On the exoteric language continuum, lingua francas are used in long-distance contact involving at least one large-scale, stratified society. On the neogenic language continuum, the dominant language in the new society (a nation-state or empire) serves as a lingua franca until subpopulations speaking other languages shift to the dominant language.

Keywords

sociolinguistic typology esoteric languages exoteric languages neogenic languages lingua francas social structure

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Type: Chapter
Information: Language Change
The Impact of English as a Lingua Franca
, pp. 44 - 74

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108675000.005 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2020

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