English around the World: Sociolinguistic Perspectives [Paperback]

Jenny Cheshire (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521395658 | ISBN-13: 978-0521395656 | Publication Date: April 26, 1991

This volume looks at the little explored but increasingly important topic of the development of English as a world language. It gives a comprehensive account of our current knowledge of variation in the use of the English language around the world. Overview papers, written by specialist authors, survey the social context in which English is spoken in those parts of the world where it is widely used. Case study papers then provide representative examples of the empirical research that has been carried out into the English spoken in the areas covered by the overview. The volume therefore contributes both to our understanding of the English language worldwide and to a more general understanding of language as it is used in its social context. It assesses the extent of our current knowledge of variation in the English language and points to gaps in our understanding which future research might set out to remedy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This collection...indispensable for all scholars who take the sociolinguistics of English around the world seriously." American Speech

"English around the World is a serious, informative volume which provides new insights into the role of English, especially in non-Western societies." Joan McConnell, Modern Language Journal

Book Description

The social development of English as a world language emerges from a comprehensive account of our current knowledge of it as well as the gaps in understanding which future research can remedy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (April 26, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521395658
• ISBN-13: 978-0521395656
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,246,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best resource, August 4, 2005

By 

T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: English around the World: Sociolinguistic Perspectives (Paperback)

English Around the World is a collection of short articles about different aspects of World Enlgishes. I bought this for my research on the role of World Englishes in the TESOL classroom. From my perspective, there were a few problems with this text. First of all, there is no overall theme, so the individual articles didn't form a complete whole. They seemed more like a grab-bag of ideas rather than a comprehensive review of the field. Also, there are a lot of articles which feature fairly detailed research without tying into a larger theme. For example, there is an article on the pronunciation of one vowel group in Australian English. This is great if you're writing a paper on Australian pronunciation, but it doesn't really tie into the theme of World English, so you'll probably skip it. There are quite a few articles like this. In short, this book suffers from poor editing.

On the other hand, I was able to find some useful articles. The sections on South Asia and Africa were particularly useful for me. In the end, though, I have to say that this book shouldn't be your first choice. I recommend "The Other Tongue" by Kachru or "English as a Global Language" by Crystal instead. If you have these already, and you would like to get another source, then this might be one to pick up.