ABSTRACT
As we saw in Chapter 3, English has always been a contact language. In recent contexts of post-colonialism and postmodern globalization, English has been undergoing further changes in relation to the diverse new languages and communities it has been coming into contact with. Many scholars are addressing the changes English is going through as it travels beyond its traditional homes and speakers. The models of World Englishes (WE), English as an International Language (EIL), and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) are some of them. These models offer useful insights into how English has to be understood differently when it comes into contact with other languages and develops hybrid grammars. And yet, they are significantly different from the translingual approach developed in this book. It is important to understand the differences, as I proceed to define English as a form of translingual practice.
