The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes constitutes a comprehensive introduction to the study of World Englishes drawing on the expertise of leading authors within the field.

The Handbook is structured in nine sections covering historical perspectives, core issues and topics and new debates which together provide a thorough overview of the field taking into account the new directions in which the discipline is heading.

Among the key themes covered are the development of English as a lingua franca among speakers for whom English is a common but not first language, the parallel development of English as a medium of instruction in educational institutions throughout the world and the role of English as the international language of scholarship and scholarly publishing, as well as the development of ‘computer-mediated’ Englishes, including ‘cyberprose’. The Handbook also includes a substantial introduction and conclusion from the editor.

The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes is the ideal resource for postgraduate students of applied linguistics as well as those in related degrees such as applied English language and TESOL/TEFL.

Reviews

"This is an impressive collection of contributions, from acknowledged specialists in the field, to the study of language spread and its concomitant differentiation and variation. It is well-nigh comprehensive in coverage, dealing with all aspects of variation: historical, geographical, cultural and functional. It will surely be an essential reference point for scholars for some time to come"

Alan Maley, Visiting Professor, Leeds Metropolitan University

'… a fascinatingly varied collection… I would recommend it to all English teachers. As a wonderful window into the many historical, cultural and functional faces of English, this handbook will help improve their understanding of the phenomenon of World Englishes and English as the lingua franca, and help put their own teractices into a global communication context… it is a "time capsule", and will be widely referenced in the future as a source of information and understanding of the status of English in the "past".' - LINGUIST List

"The 39 chapters in this collection are noteworthy no only because of the wide range of subdisciplines treated, but also for the great number of authors from Africa and Asia."

- Manfred Gorlach, Anglia

Contents

Introduction Andy Kirkpatrick Section 1 Historical Perspectives and ‘Traditional’ Englishes 1. Standardized English: The History of the Earlier Circles Daniel R. Davis 2. Grammatical Variation in the Contemporary Spoken English of England David Britain 3. Phonological Innovation in Contemporary Spoken English Gerry Docherty 4. The Englishes of Ireland: Emergence and Transportation Raymond Hickey 5. The Development of Standard American English Bill Kretzschmar 6. The Englishes of Canada Stephen Levey 7. English in Australia ...