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Book review
Title Book Review: Global Englishes (3rd ed.)
Author Suttasinee Kespratoom
Page 86

Currently, English becomes such a globalized phenomenon that the numbers of English speakers around the globe have risen dramatically. It is said that the English language has transcended its original boundaries, resulting in more contact with other languages than any other language in the world (Galloway & Rose, 2015). Back then, the English language was spoken in the mid-sixteenth century only by a relatively small group of mother tongue speakers born and bred within the shores of the British Isles (Jenkins, 2015). Surprisingly, it is now spoken in almost every country of the world, with its majority speakers being those for whom it is not a first language (Jenkins, 2015). The author is Professor Jennifer Jenkins: the Chair of Global Englishes and Founding Director of the Centre for Global Englishes in Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University of Southampton. She starts with introducing the key topics in Global Englishes (GE) which consist of the historical, social and political context, who speaks English today?, standard language ideology in the Anglophone world, variation across postcolonial Englishes, pidgin and creole languages, English as an international lingua franca, English in Asia and Europe, and the future of global Englishes. Each topic lays the basis of Global Englishes so understandably that those who have never known about it are able to read and learn about GE. Next, the author explains the implications and issues of Global Englishes. This section consists of the legacy of colonialism, the English Today debate, standards across Anglophone space, ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ offspring of English, characteristics of pidgin and creole languages, the nature of ELF communication, en route to new standard Englishes, and possible future scenarios. The author also highlights the value judgments of different Englishes. The negative attitudes which persist today towards certain varieties of English have their roots in the past and in the two dispersals of English: (1) English is transported to the New World and (2) English is transported to Asia and Africa. Obviously, there is scope for substantial disagreement as to whether the metamorphosis of English into Global Englishes is a positive or negative phenomenon. Therefore, the author explores the current debates in Global Englishes and gather readings in Global Englishes from scholars. This book is useful and practical for students and teachers who are interested in this field of study as well as those who accept the varieties of English in the modern world.


 
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