The Intercultural Dimension of English as an Academic Lingua Franca (EALF) in Scientific Publications

Abstract

The objective of this paper is, on the one hand, to present and highlight the importance of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in the use of academic English within a scientific environment and, on the other, to provide insights into understanding the disadvantage that non-native English-speaking scholars experience in international publishing.This paper begins by highlighting the importance of developing awareness of intercultural competency and sensitivity in academic writing and concludes by pointing out the need for increased understanding and tolerance on behalf of the editors and peer-reviewers of international academic journals. It emphasizes the need to promote acceptability and intelligibility, rather than mere conformity to the norms of the standard language, and it humbly aims at shifting long-established perceptions in the academic community.