When EFL meets ELF: negotiating intelligibility and intercultural communication in ASEAN EMI classrooms

IN ENGLISHThis study examines how multilingual undergraduates perceive and negotiate communicative success in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) settings. Sixteen students from seven Asian countries enrolled in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) programmes at three Thai universities participated through interviews, classroom observations, and reflective journals. Qualitative analysis revealed that students’ experiences centred on three interconnected dimensions: (1) communicative effectiveness, (2) intercultural sensitivity, and (3) pragmatic adaptability. Students consistently prioritised intelligibility and mutual understanding over native-speaker norms, viewing communication as a shared responsibility co-constructed through flexibility, adaptation, and collaborative meaning-making. Although native-like English retained prestige in formal academic contexts, it was often impractical in informal peer exchanges. Students emphasised strategic practices, such as rephrasing, simplification, providing examples, and clarification requests, that sustained interaction across linguistic diversity. Furthermore, they reported greater confidence in ELF-oriented environments where acceptance of variability reduced anxiety and encouraged authentic participation. However, they experienced uncertainty and tension when institutional ideologies prioritised native-like standards while peer interactions valued adaptability and effectiveness. This study argues for pedagogy and assessment that move beyond native-speaker norms. It recommends prioritising intelligibility, adaptability, and intercultural sensitivity as core elements of communicative competence in internationalised higher education contexts.