The use of English as a global lingua franca has given rise to new challenges and approaches in our understanding of language and communication. One area where English as a lingua franca (ELF) studies, both from an empirical and theoretical orientation, have the potential for significant developments is in our understanding of the relationships between language, culture, and identity. ELF challenges traditional assumptions concerning the supposed 'inexorable' link between a language and a culture. Due to the multitude of users and contexts of ELF communication, the supposed correlation between language, culture, and identity, often conceived at the national level, appears simplistic and naïve. However, it is equally naïve to assume that ELF is a culturally and identity-neutral form of communication. All communication involves participants, purposes, contexts, and histories, none of which are neutral.