2.

The three circles

Let us begin with Kachru's classification of English as a World Language as consisting of three circles (Kachru, 1982, 1988).

1. he inner circle refers to the traditional bases of English, where it is the !ri"ar# language. $ncluded in this circle are the %&', %K, $reland, (anada, 'ustralia and )ew *ealand. he +arieties of English used here are, in Kachru's sche"e, 'nor" !ro+iding'. 2. he outer or extended circle in+ol+es the earlier !hases of the s!read of English in non,nati+e settings, where the language has beco"e !art of a countr#'s chief institutions, and !la#s an i"!ortant 'second language' role in a "ultilingual setting. &inga!ore, $ndia, -alawi and o+er fift# other territories are included in this circle. he +arieties used here are what Kachru calls 'nor", de+elo!ing'. in regions using these +arieties there has been a conflict between lingusitic nor" and linguistic beha+iour. &uch +arieties are both endo, and e/onor"ati+e. 0. he expanding circle includes those nations which ac1nowledge the i"!ortance of English as an $nternational Language. 2istoricall#, the# do not belong to that grou! of countries which were colonised b# "e"bers of the inner circle, and English doesn't ha+e an# s!ecial intranational status or function. he# constitute the conte/t in which English is taught as a 'foreign' language as the "ost useful +ehicle of international co""unication. hese are 'nor",de!endent' +arieties, and are essentiall# e/onor"ati+e in Kachru's ter"s.

(r#stal (o!. cit., 34, 33), while warning that such data should be carefull# inter!reted, lists so"e se+ent#,fi+e territories in which English 'has held or continues to hold, a s!ecial !lace as a "e"ber of either the inner or the outer circles'. What is "ore significant, though, is the growth in the e/!anding circle, which has resulted in English being used b# non,nati+e s!ea1ers a"ong the"sel+es at least as "uch as between nati+e and non,nati+e English s!ea1ers.