Global English Flashcards
World Englishes
Refers to different English varieties that have been in existence for some time. Which have arisen because of colonial rule in the past.
World Englishes spoken by large numbers of people in many post-colonial societies, and these varieties have their own distinctive versions of standard English
Example of British Colonisation
1788- British colony in Australia
1858- British Colony in India
1957- Indian Independence
English as a lingua franca (ELF)
Is a more recent coinage.
It means a language that speakers have in common, where it is no one’s first language
This was the case for Latin in medieval Europe and it is the case very frequently with English
It can serve as a useful common communication system between speakers of different languages
Global English
Blurs the distinctions between the other two labels (world Englishes & ELF) and represents the extensive scope of English use in modern times.
But the label can,make it seem as though there is just one unified form of English when there are clearly many.
- recognises English as a general form that everyone uses. Too much of an umbrella term
- does not acknowledge all the varieties e.g Indian English
International English
Is a catch-all phrase for all of the labels - world English, ELF, global English
World Englishes - a forms of English that were abroad some time ago
Facts and stats
In 1600 - between 5-7 million people spoke English. Nearly all of them in the UK
Today - between 1.5-2 billion people across at least 75 different global territories speak English
David Crystal
-Estimates there are around 400 million L1 speakers
Over 400 million L2 speakers
Between 600-700 million ELF speakers
L1
English first language
L2
English as second language
Difference between L2 and ELF
L2
- children only learn English when in school
- but they use it more due to school/work/ daily basis
ELF
- do not use English on daily a basis, only when they need it
Stevens World map of English 1980
- Represents English using a ‘family tree’ structures
- Focuses more on connections and the history
Compared to circle theory?
- does not suggest a hierarchy compares to circle theory
- there is no English better than the other
Kachru’s ‘circles’ theory 1992
- Many varieties of English are found across the globe
- Has classified these varieties as those in the ‘inner circle’ ‘outer circle’ ‘expanding circle’
Inner circle
- English is native language
- comes for free: language they first acquire as babies
- UK, USA
Outer circle
- English is second language
- countries colonised by Britain
- English was imposed upon them even though they had a native language
- official language in many public domains (media, administration, education, legalisation)
- include standard/non standard varieties
- India, Singapore
Expanding circle
- English is a foreign language (EFL)
- does not have an official status, only used for international aspects
- taught in school as a choice like foreign language e.g. French
Kachrus circles theory evaluation
+ shows the impact of colonisation and the different varieties of English that have formed
- suggests in the inner circle, there is a perfect version of English. Like there is a privileged group that can speak the best but this is not the case. Many people speak non standard form.
- suggests outer circle English is worse
McArthur’s circle of world Englishes
Comprehensive looking
At the centre is ‘world standard English’
English undergoing eradication - the different varieties
+ very specific and more comprehensive.
+ more complex compared to Kachru’s circles theory which is simplified too much
+ acknowledges the different varieties
- There isn’t a ‘world standard english’. It has never existed
Modiana 1999
Proposed Putting English as an international language in the centre of the diagram, with the different Englishes around the edge having equal status.
+ no hierarchy
- suggests equal status but no sense of hierarchy, but there is no way to show connections in variations like Stevens map. Suggests they are all different.
