The problem of ‘unilateral idiomaticity’
By contrast with features such as those outlined in the previous section, it is in fact
certain aspects of NS English that cause intelligibility problems in ELF
communication. The first of these is what Seidlhofer (2001) terms ‘unilateral
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idiomaticity’, which occurs when one speaker (whether NNS or NS) uses an ENL
idiom that the other speaker does not know. Given that idioms are culturally loaded
and identity laden, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that the idioms spoken by one
linguacultural group (in this case, NS English groups such as British and American)
do not travel, and therefore do not have meaning for those from other linguacultures
(in this case Expanding Circle groups)