465 

 
 

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 
Department of English Studies, Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz 

SSLLT 2 (4). 465-466 
http://www.ssllt.amu.edu.pl 

 
 
 

Editorial 
 
New communication and information technologies are probably the 

main feature associated with the phenomenon of globalisation. Such technol-
ogies allow people to be in contact with almost anyone anywhere, raising de-
bates about both their benefits and negative consequences. It is often argued 
that they contribute to increasing the domination of a few major languages 
chosen to mediate communication, at the expense of more minor languages in 
terms  of  the  number  of  speakers  and  social  status.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  also  
argued that they allow speakers of minority languages to be in contact with 
one another and create social networks that may promote the survival, birth, 
or spread of such languages. The facilitated use of languages over large areas 
of the world may trigger language differentiation, eventually contributing to 
the rise of different dialects, or even languages. Among the benefits associated 
with new technologies, we realise that they give us access to immense lan-
guage corpora that often reflect language differentiation. 

The papers presented in this special issue concern various aspects of 
languages in the globalised world, and they stem from reflections on the inter-
pretation of multilingual literacy and cross-cultural encounters. 

In the first paper, Romuald Gozdawa-Go biowski reflects on the status of 
European English and its deviations from English native standards. It is followed 
by an analysis by Robert Michael Bianchi of the characteristics of 3arabizi, an 
emerging language blending English and vernacular Arabic. Those two studies of 
major languages from a social and linguistic viewpoint are followed by three 
papers  which  adopt  a  classroom  perspective.  First,  Ralph  Krüger  makes  a  case  
for the use of Internet-based corpora in translation classrooms. Following this, 
two papers ponder cultural issues in teaching: Pawe  Sobkowiak examines how 
intercultural competence can be developed despite the homogeneity of the 
language classroom in Poland, and Luz María Muñoz de Cote and Sylvia van Dijk 
investigate how to enhance students’ competence in academic English in their 



 

466 

specific fields of interest. Finally, Théophile Munyangeyo provides an original 
reflection informed by sociological reading of fictional narratives, highlighting 
the way writing can reflect social events through symbolism. He also reflects on 
challenges related to reading and using factual content in language learning 
from fictional narratives. 

 
 

Théophile Munyangeyo 
Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom 

t.munyangeyo@leedsmet.ac.uk 
 

François Pichette 
Téluq/Université du Québec, Canada 

francois.pichette@lli.ulaval.ca