ABSTRACT
The concept of 'English as an International Language' (EIL) and the need to study/teach it were initially proposed almost four decades ago by Larry Smith, to be followed up and re-emphasised over 25 years later by Sandra McKay in her book, Teaching English as an International Language. There is broad consensus in EIL literature that one of the main factors contributing to the status of English as an international language is the changing demographic background of its users. The changing '-scapes' of English have led many scholars to call for an urgent revision and reassessment of the current practices of teaching English and their underlying principles or ideologies. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book encourages EIL educators or other educators to go beyond transmitting to their students a superficial list of the behavioural traits of people from different countries or simply teaching about cultural and linguistic differences.
