English as an International Language: Perspectives and Pedagogical Issues

In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the development of English as an international language (EIL). EIL implies a new way of communication across different nationalities and cultures through the medium of a common language. The emergence of EIL and World Englishes is undoubtedly linked to the phenomenon of globalization and it is often stigmatized in the traditional ELT context, which is still dominated by native-speaker standards. EIL is dramatically challenging the ELT profession and further research can help practitioners better appreciate the contribution of EIL to language teaching and intercultural communication all over the world. The contributions collected in this volume are aimed at expanding the EIL paradigm and provide readers with useful insights into the current status and role of EIL. In the introductory chapter, Sharifian claims that the term World English is used to cover all Englishes from all circles and believes that the traditional three circles metaphor should no longer be used to frame new varieties of English. Emphasis should be laid upon the issue of intercultural communication as most of the exchanges in the world today take place between non-native speakers. The volume is further divided into four main parts aimed at covering a wide range of topics related to EIL.