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Summary Kachru’s Circles
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A detailed analysis of Kachru’s Circles that covers all you need to know about it for your A Level Exams.
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Describe a model which explains how English has spreadthroughout the world. Evaluate the usefulness of this model in
explaining the different Englishes. (25 marks)
English is the global language of today, recognised as the international language of
business, media, politics, and popular culture, with its supremacy rooted in
colonialism, and the rise of the British Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. This has
led to the subsequent rise of other world varieties of English in many post-colonial
countries, often with their distinctive linguistic features.
The Number of Mandarin Chinese speakers is greater than the number of English
speakers however English is the first language on every continent except South
America and 80% of the world's internet is in English as well.
Various models of world Englishes explain the relationship between English in the UK
and English elsewhere. According to Jenkins colonialism has destroyed ethnic
identities and there has been a loss of indigenous languages, however, it is possible to
revive these languages.
Kachru’s Circles illustrate different Englishes around the world by concentric circles
based on geographical regions. This model was important to sort different Englishes
into groups because all the different types of English were being lumped together and
newer varieties were being seen as deficient.
Kachru’s Concentric circles has native speakers in the centre, for example, UK, USA and
Canada. These are norm providing- the varieties by which others are measured. World
Englishes on the outer circle represent nations that use English as their second
language. Examples of such countries include Singapore, Ghana and India. Here the
countries’ own varieties develop.
All other recent developments of English as a Lingua Franca are located on the
expanding circle. In these countries, English is used to communicate with speakers of
other languages for either business, politics or education. They are considered to be
Norm Dependent- countries where English is utilized for practical purposes rather
than for cultural integration.
Albeit, the issue is that it can suggest in-group privilege in being in the “inner circle,”
compared to those on the outskirts to be the furthest away from the “real thing.” This
raises the question if native speakers really are at the heart of the language from which
everything else is derived? There are several changes and modifications in English
outside the UK but speakers have no control over it. Furthermore, how can it
represent diversity within the circles?
Kachru has revised his original model by breaking the circles apart and having them as
overlapping rings. He has listed specific countries to avoid vagueness, unlike the first
model, however, these lists can change so the model is relative to time. The overlaps
portray how the circles influence each other and therefore how the different varieties
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