limited English proficient n
also LEP
sometimes used to describe a minority studentin an English speaking
country, whose English language proficiency is not at the level of native
speakers of English. Special instruction in English is therefore needed
to prepare the student to enter a regular school programme. This term is
considered offensive by some and a more neutral term such as Second
Language Student is preferred.
see also mainstreaming, sheltered english, submersion education
limited English speaker n
also LES
(in bilingual educationor an english as a second language pro-
gramme) a person who has some proficiency in English but not enough to
enable him or her to take part fully and successfully in a class where English
is the only medium of instruction. Such a person is sometimes said to
have limited English proficiency. However, since these students actually
speak two languages, the term “limited English speaker” has been criticized
in recent years for focusing only on their linguistic weaknesses while ignoring
their linguistic strengths. For this reason, in many places the term has been
abandoned in favour of terms such as “ESL learner” or “bilingual student.”
linear programme n
see programmed learning
linear syllabus n
see spiral approach
lingua franca n
a language that is used for communication between different groups of
people, each speaking a different language. The lingua franca could be an
internationally used language of communication (e.g. English), it could be
the native languageof one of the groups, or it could be a language which
is not spoken natively by any of the groups but has a simplified sentence
structure and vocabulary and is often a mixture of two or more languages
(see pidgin). The term lingua franca(Italian for “Frankish tongue”) originated
in the Mediterranean region in the Middle Ages among crusaders and
traders of different language backgrounds. The term auxiliary languageis
sometimes used as a synonym for lingua franca.
linguicism n
by analogy with “racism” and “sexism” a term proposed by Phillipson to
describe practices, beliefs, policies, etc., that are designed to promote and
limited English proficient