Varieties of English in Asia

Abstract

Countries in Asia that were once colonies of English‐speaking nations developed their own varieties of English. Examples of such varieties include Malaysian, Singaporean, and Filipino English. These varieties were termed “outer circle” varieties by the founder of the discipline of world Englishes, Braj Kachru. He distinguished these varieties from “inner circle” varieties, the Englishes spoken in countries where English is the first language, such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Kachru termed countries where English was typically learned only in school classrooms as a foreign language “expanding circle” countries. In recent years, however, the roles of English in these expanding circle countries (such as China and Japan) have increased and this has led to scholars suggesting that varieties of English such as Chinese English are developing. At the same time, the use of English as a medium of communication between people in Asian countries has increased. English is, for example, the sole official working language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), one of many organizations in Asia using English as a lingua franca. This entry traces the development of these varieties of English and describes a selection of their distinctive features.