World Englishes

Question 1

What is the inner circle? (“Circle Theory”)

Answer 1

The inner circle represents the traditional historical and sociolinguistic basis of English in regions where it’s now used as a primary language
Speakers from England carried the language to: Australia, New Zealand and North America.
English is the mother tongue

Question 2

What is the outer circle? (“Circle Theory”)

Answer 2

Produced by the second diaspora of English which spread the language through imperial expansion
English isn’t a mother tongue but serves as a useful lingua franca

Question 3

What is the expanding circle? (“Circle Theory”)

Answer 3

Countries where English plays no historical or governmental role, but is widely used for international communication.
Includes countries such as: China, Russia, non-Anglophone Europe, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Egypt.

Question 4

Peter Trudgill - Standard English

Answer 4

Standard English:
is a dialect
differs from other dialects in that it has greater prestige
does not have an associated accent
doesn’t form part of a geographical continuum
is purely a social dialect

Question 5

What does Suresh Canagarajah say about the centre of the circles?

Answer 5

“There is nothing in the centre”
“There’s no universal English language, nor a world standard English”
“People construct English as it suits their purpose”

Question 6

What does Suresh Canagarajah say about Kachru’s “circles model”?

Answer 6

“the circles are leaking”

Reasons:
Human migration, historical and past
Technology - it connects people (e.g. call centres)