“Englishes” in the World

　Have you ever heard/of “World Englishes”?// This term refers to the many varieties of English/around the world.// A linguist created this term,/dividing the varieties/into three groups.//
　The first group consists of the varieties of English/spoken in the UK,/the US,/Canada,/Australia,/and New Zealand.// Many people in these countries/speak English/as their first language.//
　However,/words,/spellings,/and pronunciation/are sometimes different/depending on the country.// For example,/“school cafeteria” in the US/becomes “canteen” in the UK.//
　Even in one country,/people in different regions/speak differently.// Thus,/English spoken by native speakers/has many local varieties/among the countries/and inside each country.//


　The second group includes the varieties of English/spoken in countries/such as India,/the Philippines,/Singapore,/Pakistan,/and Kenya.// In these multilingual societies,/English is spoken as a second language/or an official language.//
　In these countries,/people usually use their mother tongue/at home/and in their daily lives.// They use English for work/and official matters.// For example,/in Singapore,/most people speak Mandarin,/Malay,/or Tamil/at home,/but they use English/in schools,/workplaces,/and public offices.//
　Influenced by their local languages,/their varieties of English/may not sound like American/or British English.// However,/it does not mean/that their varieties are inferior.// They are an important part/of the speakers’ identities.//


　The third group covers the varieties of English/spoken in some countries/in Europe,/Africa,/South America,/and Asia.// In these countries,/including Japan,/people usually learn and use English/as a foreign language.//
　Although people in these countries/rarely speak English/in their daily lives,/they use the language/when it is necessary.// Imagine your school welcomes an exchange student/from Argentina,/and you want to make friends/with her.// Neither of you/speaks each other’s mother tongue.// Having learned English for several years,/both of you can use English/to communicate.// In this way,/English becomes a common language.//
　English spoken by these non-native speakers/varies a lot.// The varieties reflect the speakers’ valuable linguistic/and cultural backgrounds.//


　Today,/English spoken by the majority of the speakers/belongs to the second and third groups.// In other words,/there are more non-native speakers of English/than native speakers/in the world.// Under the circumstances,/English serves as a common language,/or a lingua franca,/on many occasions.//
　When people use English/as a lingua franca,/they try to do their best/to understand each other.// They focus on communicating their messages,/rather than speaking like native speakers.// They also respect the varieties of English/and the cultural backgrounds of others.//
　As we have seen,/there are many varieties of English.// Each of them is equally important.// With this concept kept in mind,/be confident/when you speak English.// Let’s communicate actively/with people around the world.//