Reviewed by Richard W. Hallett, Northeastern Illinois University

Comprised of an introduction by the editors and thirteen chapters by various linguistic and social science researchers, this book examines three rival positions on the role of the English language in the world. In the introduction (5–16), Rani Rubdy and Mario Saraceni introduce the language used in international communication as English as an international language (EIL) or English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). They state that the chapters ‘are intended to reflect a strong and urgent sense’ (15) of issues such as imposing a single model of English, acknowledging its hegemony, necessitating a counter-culture movement, and recognizing its polymorphous nature worldwide. The remaining chapters are divided into two parts.

Following a short introduction, Part 1, ‘Conceptualizing EIL’, includes seven chapters. ‘An interview with Tom McArthur’ (21–31) presents Rani Rubdy and Mario Saraceni’s discussion with the founder of the journal English Today: The International Review of the English Language concerning the spread of English(es). Jennifer Jenkins briefly introduces the core and noncore features of ELF phonology in ‘Global intelligibility and local diversity: Possibility or paradox’ (32–39). Barbara Seidlhofer discusses five misconceptions about ELF in ‘English as a lingua franca in the expanding circle: What it isn’t’ (40–50).

In ‘Defining the “successful bilingual speaker” of English’ (51–70), Luke Prodromou identifies problems with the lingua franca core and offers examples from his own corpus-based research to suggest directions for future research. In ‘Which model of English: Native-speaker, nativized or lingua franca?’ (71–83), Andy Kirkpatrick calls upon applied linguists to describe a lingua franca model. Peter K. W. Tan, Vincent B. Y. Ooi, and Andy K. L. Chiang explore the choice between world Englishes and ELF in ‘World Englishes or English as a lingua franca? A view from the perspectives of non-Anglo Englishes’ (84–94). In the last chapter of Part 1, ‘Standard English in the world’ (95–109), Anthea Fraser Gupta attempts to ‘move the teaching of English as a foreign language into the real world’ (96).

Following another short introduction, Part 2, ‘Pedagogical implications of EIL’, includes six chapters. In ‘EIL curriculum development’ (114–29), Sandra Lee McKay calls for a reassessment of the role of native speaker competence and culture in teaching EIL. Brian Tomlinson presents his opinions on the optimum methodology for the teaching of EIL in ‘A multi-dimensional approach to teaching English for the world’ (130–50). Nicos Sifakis’s goal in ‘Teaching EIL: Teaching international or intercultural English? What teachers should know’ (151–68) is to raise the awareness of pedagogical issues for future EIL teachers. Also addressing pedagogical issues, T. Ruanni F. Tupas, in ‘Standard Englishes, pedagogical paradigms and their conditions of (im)possibility’ (169–85), explores the political question of access to standard English(es). In ‘English in the world does not mean English everywhere: The case for multilingualism in the ELT/ESL profession’ (186–99), Michael Joseph and Esther Ramani call for a multilingual identity change in English language teaching. The book concludes with Rani Rubdy and Mario Saraceni’s interview with the editor of TESOL Quarterly, ‘An interview with Suresh Canagarajah’ (200–11).

This book will appeal to researchers in the areas of world Englishes, applied linguistics, and English language pedagogy.