The Evolution of World Englishes
The Three Circles
“World Englishes” refers to the varieties of English used in different regions of the world.
These varieties have developed in countries influenced by the United Kingdom or the United States.
There are about 75 countries where English is spoken as a first language or as an official second language.
The spread of English around the globe can be explained in terms of three circles of the language: the Inner Circle, the Outer Circle, and the Expanding Circle.
The Inner Circle refers to the countries where English is used as the mother tongue.
Speakers from England carried the language to North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Outer Circle refers to the countries where English is not the native tongue, but serves as one of the official languages.
Such countries include India, Pakistan, Singapore, Kenya, and South Africa.
The Expanding Circle consists of countries where English plays no historical or official role, but is widely used as a medium of international communication.
This includes many of the remaining countries such as Korea, China, Egypt, Norway, and Russia.