New reflections on the evolutionary dynamics of world Englishes

Abstract

The ongoing expansion and diversification of English, especially in the Expanding Circle, calls for a comparative analysis of these processes and a deepened theoretical understanding of this dynamism. A key question asked in this paper is whether or to what extent the 'Dynamic Model' of the evolution of Postcolonial Englishes is able to explain these processes and can be applied to Extending Circle countries as well. A decade after its first influential publication, reactions to the model are surveyed systematically, including some new applications, modifications, approaches at testing it, and some criticism. Applying the comparative-descriptive framework of this model and some of its constituent components, the progress of English is outlined in China, Korea, and (less broadly) Japan, the ASEAN, Thailand, Namibia, and Rwanda. Furthermore, it is argued that a similar dynamism is driving the widespread emergence of hybrid mixes between local languages and English and phenomena of 'poststructuralist diffusion,' English being adopted by whatever means, in fragments and unconstrained of norm concerns, driven by strongly utilitarian considerations. A tabular summary assessment compares these processes with constituents of the Dynamic Model and finds that despite some similarities it is not well suited to grasp the vibrant developments of the Expanding Circle. Instead, the notion of 'transnational attraction' is defined and proposed as an appropriate conceptual framework.

Palatalization Practices in Ghanaian English

“…These established innovations, adaptations or indications of nativizations are linguistic elements that set varieties apart despite the 'Transnational Attraction' (Schneider, 2014) appeal of English. This research has emphasized that as a New English, Ghanaian English maintains some peculiarities in the realization of the assimilation process of palatalization which can be associated with the variety.…”

“…As a linguistic fact, non-native varieties of English exist and many scholars [Kachru (1988[Kachru ( , 1992, Görlach (1988), Ahulu (1994), Bamgbose (1997), Dako (2001a), Schneider (2003Schneider ( , 2014, among others] have written extensively on these varieties of English. Earlier scholars like Halliday, MacIntosh and Strevens (1964: 293) have noted that English 'is no longer the possession of the British, or even the British and the Americans, but an international language which increasing numbers of people adopt for at least some of their purposes, without thereby denying ... the value of their own languages.'…”

The evolutionary dynamics of postcolonial Englishes: A Hong Kong case study

“…In a recent ‘stock‐taking’ article on the Dynamic Model's first decade, Schneider (: 17) claims that his framework has been ‘widely applied, accepted, and partly transformed, and certainly found to be a powerful tool’. He substantiates this claim by citing studies conducted in countries covered in his monograph as well as a number of new applications, including two former insular possessions of Britain in the Mediterranean (Malta and Cyprus) and a peninsular possession (Gibraltar), which is one of the few remaining British Overseas Territories.…”

“…He substantiates this claim by citing studies conducted in countries covered in his monograph as well as a number of new applications, including two former insular possessions of Britain in the Mediterranean (Malta and Cyprus) and a peninsular possession (Gibraltar), which is one of the few remaining British Overseas Territories. Schneider (: 14–15) also summarises the findings of eight studies that have attempted to test the model empirically. A close analysis of these studies, however, reveals that they are based on synchronic data, notably the International Corpus of English (many components of which were compiled two decades ago and comprise only one million words), and do not therefore explore the ‘diachronic dimension’ of the Dynamic Model, which Schneider (: 313) claims is one of its main innovative qualities.…”

“…As Noël, van Rooy and van der Auwera (: 4) point out, one of the reasons for this research gap is the general unavailability of diachronic corpora of PCEs. Another limitation of the studies reviewed by Schneider () is that, being linguistic analyses and therefore concerned with parameter 4 (i.e. linguistic effects), they do not seek to explore the model's three other parameters, namely, sociopolitical background, identity constructions and sociolinguistic conditions.…”