Word of the day: lingua franca

lingua franca ˈliŋ-gwə-ˈfraŋ-kə name

1. a common language used by speakers of different languages

2. something that acts as a common language

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The term lingua franca has appeared in 16 articles on NYTimes.com over the past year, including October 15 in Dan Bilefsky’s “Quebec Language Debate Spurs Eerie Sense of Deja-Vu”:

Reducing the percentage of French-speaking Quebecers who can attend English-speaking colleges is a measure that critics say will unfairly punish future generations of French-speaking Quebecers.

Julius Gray, a prominent human rights lawyer in Montreal who has argued landmark cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, told me he was concerned that limiting the teaching of English to young people Francophones are reducing their career horizons in a world where lingua franca is English.

“Francophones will be lulled by the idea that you don’t need English to be successful in your career in North America, which you don’t,” he said.

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the term lingua franca in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s word of the day and share it as a comment on this article. It is very important that your sentence makes sense and shows that you understand the definition of the word, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then read some of the other sentences the students submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out for you.

If you want a better idea of ​​how lingua franca can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you like this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

Students aged 13 and over in the US and UK, and 16 and over elsewhere, may comment. All comments are moderated by The Learning Network staff.