The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

The role of culture in intercultural communication remains contested, with some studies emphasizing its contribution to miscommunication and others questioning its relevance. Moving beyond this dichotomy, this study examines when and how culture becomes relevant—or remains backgrounded—in interactions conducted in English as a lingua franca (ELF). Drawing on naturally occurring informal ELF interactions among speakers with diverse linguistic backgrounds, the analysis adopts an interactional perspective informed by conversation analysis and discursive pragmatics. The findings show that culture is not inherently salient but becomes relevant when participants orient to it in specific interactional contexts, particularly in moments of communicative trouble, identity positioning, and accounts for perceived differences. Crucially, in many cases participants achieve mutual understanding without invoking cultural categories. This study thus builds on interactional approaches to culture, offering a more fine-grained account of how cultural relevance is contingently achieved in EFL communication.