A comparison of spoken and signed lingua franca communication: the case of English as a lingua franca (ELF) and International Sign (IS)

Abstract This article explores similarities between English as a lingua franca (ELF) and International Sign (IS), two phenomena which in the last decades have been subject to increasing, albeit independent, linguistic research. In contrast spoken intercultural communication, often represents shared resource that speakers from different linguacultural backgrounds draw on, visual-gestural modality no specific sign language has yet gained such global reach. Instead, many international contexts IS is used: can be more or less conventionalized not based on one particular language. use depends communicative situation, signers flexibly creatively signs natural languages well iconic elements gestures. Despite overt formal differences ELF IS, when focusing actual communication process, rather than forms result it, share similarities. fact, both are variable means get situationally adapted by basis of resources they at their disposal. Similar discussions about difficulty conceptualizing role multilingual resources, interaction processes play thus found literature. insight opens up new possibilities for researchers fields mutually benefit study other modality, prompts need cross-modal collaboration researchers.