Second language errors and features of world Englishes

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhile exocentric norms (e.g. British and American English) informed by a second language acquisition (SLA) perspective are prevalent in the Outer Circle, there is a growing recognition of local varieties of Englishes belonging to the world Englishes (WE) paradigm. However, what constitutes an error or a varietal feature is hard to decide, particularly in the absence of codification of non‐native Englishes in many Outer Circle contexts. Yet, distinguishing between errors and varietal features is a pedagogical requirement for correcting learners’ errors and nurturing their linguistic creativity. Although the WE literature suggests criteria to determine the status of neologisms, these have their limitations. On the other hand, insufficient attention has been given to the agency of English teachers who are in a critical position to mediate language standards and their variations. Against this background, this paper reports a small‐scale study involving practising English teachers in Bangladesh to provide a pedagogical perspective on error/innovation issues. Acknowledging the underlying complexity, we argue that understanding teachers’ perspectives should be seen as an important research agenda to address learner English/L2 variety issues in L2 pedagogy.