ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the well-established model suggested by Braj Kachru, which describes the spread of global English in terms of three concentric circles: inner circle, outer circle, and expanding circle. The three circles model attempts to represent the spread of English without encouraging over-simplified categorisation of users according to the native versus non-native yardstick. The chapter talks about American English as the most influential 'Inner Circle' variety, rather than in the history and development of the language within the US itself. Japanese English has been chosen as an illustration of an Expanding Circle variety, not least because the combined forces of English teaching and globalisation in Japan have provoked a timely debate on the cultural and educational impact of Anglicisation in countries in which it is the dominant foreign language learnt. Grammatical features found in Southern American English include the use of a special pronoun for the second person plural, you-all.
