braj kachru's 'circle model' 1992

Question 1

what is Kachru’s model called?

Answer 1

‘Circle of World English’ 1992

Question 2

what does Kachru develop in his circle model?

Answer 2

portrays the spread of English through three circles: inner circle, outer circle, and expanding circle.

Question 3

what does the INNER CIRCLE consist of?

Answer 3

the FIRST dispersal of English: countries where English is the native language e.g. USA, UK, Canada.
- these are the places that norms are created and from which they spread to other circles.

Question 4

what does the OUTER CIRCLE consist of?

Answer 4

the SECOND dispersal of English: represents the places where they speak non-native varieties of English + holds institutional significance due to colonial past e.g. India and Ghana.
- these are places that challenges the norms and develops them.

Question 5

what does the EXPANDING CIRCLE consist of?

Answer 5

countries where English is not usually spoken and EFL speakers have to follow the rules established by the inner circle (where English is their native language) because of the fact that English is a global lingua franca. e.g. China, Russia, Brazil.

Question 6

why has this model been criticised?

Answer 6

it places USA and UK at the heart of the model and labelling as “inner circle” implies hierarchy (nomenclature is problematic)

Question 7

is a global standard needed for English all over the world according to Kachru?

Answer 7

YES because ‘inner circle’ has connotations of hierarchy