English as an International Language: Perspectives and Pedagogical Issues

In the last few decades there has been a growing interest in the development of English as an international language (EIL). EIL implies a new way of communication across different nationalities and cultures through the medium of a common language. The emergence of EIL and World Englishes is undoubtedly linked to the phenomenon of globalisation and it is often stigmatised in the traditional ELT context, which is still dominated by the native speaker standards. EIL is dramatically challenging the ELT profession and further research can help practitioners better appreciate the contribution of EIL to language teaching and intercultural communication all over the world. The contributions collected in this volume are aimed at expanding the EIL paradigm and provide readers with useful thinking into the current status and role of English as an international language.