ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the long-term and more immediate roots of the globalization of English. It looks both at English in comparison with other languages and at Standard English in comparison to regional forms. The chapter reviews some of the aspects of English in the Information Society, especially spelling, texting, advertising, scholarly prose, and English for Specific Purposes. It focuses on linguistic correlates of spread, such as bilingualism, code-switching, and borrowing. The chapter moves on to English as a native, a second, or a foreign language, which pointedly emphasizes the pluricentrism of the language, but also some of the most prominent attempts to redefine English in an international context. It describes diversity of perspectives in a discussion of the convergent and divergent aspects of present-day English as both global and local. Global travel and electronic technology have further changed the traditional picture of the language.
