World Englishes

The fourth edition of World Englishes provides an engaging overview of the global variations in phonology, grammar, vocabulary, and pragmatics of English as it is used world-wide. This book introduces the principles of linguistic variation and provides coverage on the roots of English, the spread of English, variations of English as a second language, and trends for the future.

Thoroughly updated throughout in line with recent research, this new edition includes:

• Updated online support material including 43 audio examples of speakers of native (25) and of non-native (33) English reflecting the global variety of the language, available to download

• New sections on recent models of world Englishes and on vocabulary management dealing with inclusive language

• Improved and updated descriptions of foreign-language varieties, now including Arabic and Spanish English

• Additional exercises for the accompanying audio files and new reflective questions online.

Offering a thorough and detailed descriptive account of all the main varieties of English across the globe, World Englishes also provides a balanced discussion of political issues and the sociolinguistic background to variation in English, spoken and written, face-to-face, on paper and online, in the twenty-first century. This book is essential reading for students approaching this topic for the first time.

Author Biography

The late Gunnel Melchers was Professor Emerita in the English Department at Stockholm University. Her research was devoted to regional and social variation, with special reference to the north of England and Scotland’s Northern Isles.

Philip Shaw is Professor Emeritus in the Department of English in Stockholm University. He is co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of English for Academic Purposes (2016) and Student Plagiarism in Higher Education: Reflections on Teaching Practice (Routledge 2018).

Peter Sundkvist is Professor in the English Department at Stockholm University. His research is in the areas of English and Germanic phonetics and phonology. He is the author of The Shetland Dialect (Routledge 2020).