Includes index and references.

Contents:Introduction:key topics in world Englishes:the historical, social and political context -- The origins of pidgin and creole languages -- Who speaks English today -- Variation across outer circle Englishes -- Standard language ideology in the inner circle -- The spread of English as an international lingua franca -- The roles of English in Asia and Europe -- The future of world Englishes -- Development:Implications and issues:The legacy of colonialism -- Characteristics of pidgins and creoles -- The English today debate -- The legitimate and illegitimate offspring of English -- Standards across space -- Native and non-native speakers of English -- En route to new standard Englishes -- Possible future scenarios -- Exploration:Current dabates in world Englishes:postcolonial America and Africa -- Creole developments in the UK and US -- Teaching and testing world Englishes -- Emerging sub varieties -- Standards across channels -- The nature of English as a lingua franca -- Asian Englishes in the outer and expanding circles -- Language killer or language promoter -- Extension:readings in world Englishes:the discourses of postcolonialism(Alastair Pennycook) -- The status of pidgins and creoles in education (Charles Alobwede d'Epie) -- Who owns English today(Henry G. Widdowson) -- From language to literature(Chinua Achebe and Ngugu wa Thiongo) -- Is laguage still power( Lesley Milroy, Alfred Lee and Dennis Bloodworth) -- Positioning English as a ligua franca(Barbara Seidlhofer) -- Attitudes to local norms in the expanding circle (Hu Xiao and Ulrich Ammon) -- Looking ahead (David Graddol and David Crystal).