Flashcards on The Changing World of English
The Changing World of English: Analysis & Summary
Tap to flip · Swipe to navigate
World Englishes
21 cards
Card 1
Question: What does the term 'World Englishes' signify about ownership of the English language?
Answer: That English 'belongs to everyone who speaks it' and is no one's mother tongue; no single group owns English any more—native and non-native speakers s
Card 2
Question: How has the role of 'native' English speakers changed according to the World Englishes perspective?
Answer: Native speakers have lost much of their exclusive linguistic power; non-native competent users often match or exceed native speakers in competence and
Card 3
Question: What consensus emerged as a result of English functioning widely as a lingua franca?
Answer: Scholars argue we should recognise 'World Englishes' or 'Global English' rather than focus on inner, outer, and expanding circle distinctions.
Card 4
Question: How does World Englishes view different national varieties like Indian, British, or Malaysian English?
Answer: All varieties are legitimate and users should have equal rights as English users; these varieties are part of a shared international ownership.
Card 5
Question: Does World Englishes deny inequalities among English users?
Answer: No—there are still 'haves' and 'have-nots' and conflicting interests and ideologies, but ownership and legitimacy are more widely distributed.
Card 6
Question: What criticism does Rajagopalan make about speakers who cannot understand non-native accents?
Answer: He suggests such speakers are 'communicatively deficient' if they cannot deal with accents like Punjabi, Greek, or outsourced call-centre varieties.
Card 7
Question: What change to Kachru’s circle model is proposed in light of World Englishes?
Answer: Kachru proposed a new diagram where language affiliation and ethnicity matter less than a speaker's proficiency; outside the inner core, the main dist
Card 8
Question: Approximately how many English speakers does Graddol predict by 2040, and what ceiling does he suggest for global functional users?
Answer: Graddol suggests about 3 billion English speakers by 2040 and doubts that more than 40% of the global population would become functional users of Engl
Card 9
Question: What is a limitation of labelling an English variety by a country's name (e.g., 'British English')?
Answer: It ignores regional varieties within the country; there are many distinct varieties with their own vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar.
Card 10
Question: Give examples showing grammatical differences between British and American English from the text.
Answer: British English uses 'have got' (e.g., 'Have you got the time?') and the present perfect in questions ('Have you read her latest article yet?'), while