Professor Braj Kachru, the famous linguist, divided the English speaking world into 3 circles: the native speaker, the circle for whom it is a second, active language, and an expanding circle. This expanding circle is made up of all the countries where English is spoken more as a lingua franca, for transactional, public purposes. This is now commonly referred to as Global English, indicating its role in trade and business.
According to the British Council, the last set of English speakers account for the largest number, at about 1.5 billion. For them, English is the language of everyday contact, a way of communicating with others for whom English is not close to being a native language. In this case, grammar, accent, and even vocabulary are constantly evolving, based on the regions where the English is being spoken.
This has led to many discussions about ‘native-like’ proficiency in English and the extent to which this is desirable, or even possible today. Think about a Chinese company finalising a contract with a Spanish one – the English language used in the contract is specific, targeted and functional. It will not dwell at any length on using allusions, symbols or cultural references to English but retain its most precise and objective content.
In general, Global English is characterised by short sentences, literal meanings, and absence of passive voice and figurative language. This is because the English which is used here is based on the context and determined by the specialisation: from air traffic control to international finance, there are many sectors which use English for purely technical purposes.
The most important feature of Global English is mutual intelligibility. For example, according to David Graddol, another famous linguist, the correct pronunciation of ‘th’ is not as important as the enunciation of the short and long syllable in English (such as in ‘sit’ and ‘seat’).
These differences have many implications on the teaching and learning of English as a language. If one is not looking for the finer nuances of the language in terms of its colour, rigour or depth, it is enough to study English as used in a specific sector (English for Specific Purposes), or even English as an International Language (EIL). Either way, there is sufficient proficiency of the language, without aiming for native-like competency.
This in turn has many consequences in the way that English is taught and examined in educational institutions. Even the gatekeeping exams like TOEFL and IELTS have recognised the rise of Global English and created graded rubrics that reflect these changes. Intelligibility rather than traditional correctness is emphasized and students are encouraged to listen to a variety of Englishes being spoken in different parts of the world.
It is said that English as a language absorbs many terms from different parts of the globe, making the language remain contemporary evolving. Today, it truly reflects the way in which cultures come into contact with one another, reflected in a language which itself keeps changing.
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