ENL or ELF? Do learners know what they want or what is best for them?

Various estimates put the number of non-native speakers of English in the world at between three and four times the number of native speakers. Since many young people currently studying English will go on to use the language primarily as a lingua franca to communicate with other non-native speakers, questions are raised as to what kind of English should represent a realistic target for such learners and whether those youngsters are aware of what is in their best interests. This article considers the issue of learners’ expectations and reports on a brief survey of the attitudes of Italian students of English at university level.