230552 Englishes in the Expanding Circle (S) (SoSe 2016)

Today, the English language is spoken in various regions and countries. It also has become a vital medium of national and international communication.
In this seminar, we will look at several models that observe and analyze the spread and the use of English around the world. Within the framework of Braj Kachru’s approach of the Three Circles of English (the Inner, the Outer, and the Expanding Circle), we will examine English varieties in the Expanding Circle (e.g. Chinese English), i.e. in regions that “do not necessarily have a history of colonization by the users of the inner circle.” (Kachru, 1985).

We will compare different Expanding Circle varieties by looking at linguistic features of these varieties as well as different domains of English (e.g. academia, media). We will also discuss the implications that the spread of English (and the emergence of different varieties of English) might have on language teaching.
In that context, we will critically evaluate attitudes to (local) norms in the Expanding Circle. Concluding, we would like to discuss some hypotheses regarding the future of English(es).