Contending with Globalization in World Englishes (Critical Language and Literacy Studies): 9

This book engages with English in globalization, re-examining and re-interpreting the contemporary contexts of its acquisition and use. The chapters contained in this book weave together four inter-related themes that define the role of English in the global context: the ‘centrality of structure’, ‘relationships of interdependence’, ‘social constructions of difference’ and ‘reproduction of inequality’. These themes enable the authors to draw attention to the dynamics of the contemporary realities of the ‘English-speaking’ and ‘English-using’ nations, especially as they compete for cultural, social, economic and symbolic capital in global networks. In engaging World Englishes with the sociolinguistics of globalization, the authors raise some fundamental questions about the status, structure, and functions of World Englishes.

Mukul Saxena is Assistant Professor in the Centre for Applied Linguistics, Warwick University, UK. Before this, he worked in Brunei Darussalam, Lancaster and York. His publications and research interests are in the areas of ‘(English-)bilingual classroom interaction, Multilingual literacies, Language maintenance & shift, World Englishes.

Tope Omoniyi is Professor of Sociolinguistics in the Department of Media, Culture and Language at the University of Roehampton. He is a member of the burgeoning Sociology of Language and Religion (SLR) international research network.