From English as a Lingua Franca to Englishes as Linguae Harmonicae: A Critical Framework for Ethical and Relational Language Education

Abstract

This article introduces Englishes as Linguae Harmonicae (ESLH), a new theoretical and pedagogical framework that reimagines English language education through the lenses of relational ethics, emotional resonance, and decolonial care. Building on and moving beyond English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), World Englishes (WEs), and Global Englishes (GEs), ESLH foregrounds harmony not as sameness, but as co-resonance across difference. Rooted in pluriversal and postcolonial thought, ESLH emphasizes attunement, dignity, and healing in response to the postcolonial, emotional, and epistemic harms of English. Drawing on metaphors of music and restorative practice, the article proposes a praxiology of English teaching centered on relational presence, dialogical listening, and ethical co-creation. ESLH invites educators to imagine classrooms not as standardized spaces, but as soundscapes of belonging. In reframing Englishes as sites of justice, mutuality, and shared humanity, this framework contributes to a future of language education grounded in critical love and deeper understanding.