English as a Lingua Franca vs. Interpreting – Perspectives of Young Conference Participants on Two Competing Means of Communication

Abstract:

The global spread of English has had far-reaching consequences for transcultural communication. The hegemony of English reflects a growing asymmetry between languages of lesser and greater diffusion and has been criticised on many occasions.

English is, however, no longer exclusively owned by its native speakers, since those who use it as a lingua franca now represent the majority. The increased use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) also has implications for interpreting. 20 years ago, Seleskovitch (1996: 306) projected that the use of a single language in international settings would lead to a lower demand for conference interpreters, and a number of studies indicate that this projection is indeed becoming a reality. Another ELF-related phenomenon in the context of international conferences is the preference for English in settings where interpreting is available, and speakers can use their first language (L1). As a consequence, interpreters are confronted with a growing number of non-native speakers and their restricted power of verbal expression.

This paper deals with the use of English at international events and presents a qualitative study on the preference for this language in conference settings. The study was conducted at the Model European Union (MEU) 2015 in Strasbourg, which constitutes the largest simulation of EU policy making, involving more than 100 participants and several working languages. On the one hand, the results shed light on the broad spectrum of reasons behind the preference for English when presenting a speech in front of an international audience. On the other hand, the study reveals possible advantages of using one’s L1 according to young conference participants.