The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes: A Book review

Abstract

Through the years, English has increasingly been spoken by millions of speakers in the world as a second and foreign language to communicate across countries. As it was natively used by, following categorization conceptualized by Braj Bihari Kachru (1990), inner circle countries (English as L1), the speakers of outer circle (English as L2) and expanding circle (English as a foreign language, EFL) have outnumbered the native speakers (Kirkpatrick & Sussex, 2018). The cultural, geographical, and physical distinctions of speakers worldwide may shape and transform linguistic features (Kirkpatrick & Lixun, 2021). It leads to varieties of English. Bearing this in mind, through the lens of the use of English worldwide shaped by his upbringings, Andy Kirkpatrick, experienced living in the U.K., Malaysia, and Australia edited a sheer handbook of world Englishes by compiling 40 cutting-edge chapters capturing the varieties of English around the world, from its home origins involving U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to outer and expanding circles (European, African, and Asian countries) and also comprises varieties across social disciplines (culture, education, and business). As the successor of its preceding edition, the second edition attempted to address extensively the up-to-date issue on the role of English including socio-cultural, language literature, and pedagogical concerns and welcome readers across disciplines.