English as a Foreign Language in Higher Education: Case study of a public university in México.

In times marked by global academic mobility, English has consolidated its role as the dominant medium of communication in higher education worldwide. This paper analyzes the role of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) within a Mexican public university where formal English-Medium Instruction (EMI) policies remain largely absent and examines how faculty and students navigate academic communication without consistent institutional support. Qualitative data from interviews, classroom observations, and institutional documents reveal that ELF emerges organically through adaptive strategies (e.g., translanguaging, pragmatic clarity), rather than native-like proficiency. However, systemic challenges such as unequal access to English resources, limited teacher training, and the lack of alignment between internationalization goals and classroom realities raise concerns about epistemic injustice, particularly for disadvantaged students. The study emphasizes the importance of ELF-aware institutional policies that acknowledge English as a functional, inclusive, and co-constructed medium, aligning with broader calls for equity in multilingual education (García Ramos, 2022).