However, the most extensive spread of English in recent years, in terms of numbers of
speakers, has undoubtedly occurred in the countries of the Expanding Circle, such as
China, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, and Continental Europe. Although English is
increasingly being used as a medium of instruction in tertiary and even secondary and
primary education in some of these regions, it otherwise serves few, if any, local
institutional functions in such places. For this reason, English in the Expanding Circle
has traditionally been considered a ‘foreign’ language, one that is learnt primarily for
communication with Inner Circle English speakers, and dependent on Inner Circle
norms. This characterisation may, at one time, have reflected the primary use of
English among Expanding Circle speakers. But English is no longer predominantly a
foreign language in these countries: most learners of English in the Expanding Circle
no longer learn English in order to be able to communicate with English mother
tongue speakers. Instead, they need English to provide them with a lingua franca with
which to communicate for both social and professional reasons with speakers of other
first languages, particularly those in other Expanding Circle countries. In other words,
they are learning, and subsequently using, what has come to be known as ‘English as
a Lingua Franca’.
However, the most extensive spread of English in recent years, in terms of numbers ofspeakers, has undoubtedly occurred in the countries of the Expanding Circle, such asChina, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, and Continental Europe. Although English isincreasingly being used as a medium of instruction in tertiary and even secondary andprimary education in some of these regions, it otherwise serves few, if any, localinstitutional functions in such places. For this reason, English in the Expanding Circlehas traditionally been considered a ‘foreign’ language, one that is learnt primarily forcommunication with Inner Circle English speakers, and dependent on Inner Circlenorms. This characterisation may, at one time, have reflected the primary use ofEnglish among Expanding Circle speakers. But English is no longer predominantly aforeign language in these countries: most learners of English in the Expanding Circleno longer learn English in order to be able to communicate with English mothertongue speakers. Instead, they need English to provide them with a lingua franca withwhich to communicate for both social and professional reasons with speakers of otherfirst languages, particularly those in other Expanding Circle countries. In other words,they are learning, and subsequently using, what has come to be known as ‘English asa Lingua Franca’.
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