WE, ELF and ELT: Perspectives on English and applied linguistics

Abstract In a paper which originally set the scene for WE study, Braj Kachu argued that the ‘global diffusion of English’ called for a new paradigm of enquiry which recognized the independent status of varieties of English used by communities other than those of Inner Circle native speakers. Since extensively studied varieties of English in Inner Circle communities already exist, this prompts the question of what warrants the assigning of distinctive WE status to Outer Circle varieties. Furthermore, although WE varieties are one manifestation of the diffusion of English, much more globally diffuse is the expedient use of English as a lingua franca, where users need to negotiate their meanings without reliance on the shared knowledge of language variety conventions. This paper then goes on to argue that ELF, therefore, has a direct relevance, as WE does not, to both applied linguistics in general and English language teaching in particular.