English as a Multilingua Franca and ‘Trans-’ Theories

Abstract The research field of English as a lingua franca (ELF) is concerned with global communication among users, in which most often part, not the whole, their communicative repertoires. ‘The notion multilingua (EMF) repositions within multilingualism to foreground multilingual situations, influences, and practices inherent encounters (Jenkins, 2015). This paper attempts further theoretical development EMF light theories du jour applied linguistics, namely ‘trans-’ translanguaging transmodal, transcultural communication. A review integration literature on these areas makes clear more similarities than differences between ‘trans- ’ theories, together highlight limited role any named language, mode, or culture both online offline interactions at scale. It hoped that beyond ideologically fixed construct, future ELF explores how users collaboratively (or uncollaboratively) take advantage wider multilingual, multimodal, multicultural resources while engaging translingual, practices.