Longman Dictionary of

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English as an international language
see ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
English as an international language n
a term used to characterize the status of English as the world’s major
second language and the commonest language used for international
business, trade, travel, communication, etc. Like the term World
Englishes, the notion of International Language recognizes that different
norms exist for the use of English around the world and that British,
American, Australian or other mother-tongue varieties of English are not
necessarily considered appropriate targets either for learning or for communication
in countries where English is used for cross-cultural or crosslinguistic
communication – for example, when a Brazilian and a
Japanese businessperson use English to negotiate a business contract.
The type of English used on such occasions need not necessarily be
based on native speaker varieties of English but will vary according to
the mother tongue of the people speaking it and the purposes for which
it is being used.
English as a second dialect n
also ESD
the role of standard English (see STANDARD VARIETY) for those who speak
other dialects of English.
see also BIDIALECTAI, BILINGUAL EDUCATION
English as a second language n
also ESL
a basic term with several somewhat different definitions. In a loose sense,
English is the second language of anyone who learns it after learning their
FIRST LANGUAGE in infancy in the home. Using the term this way, no distinction
is made between second language, third language, etc. However,
English as a SECOND LANGUAGE is often contrasted with English as a
foreign language. Someone who learns English in a formal classroom setting,
with limited or no opportunities for use outside the classroom, in a
country in which English does not play an important role in internal communication
(China, Japan, and Korea, for example), is said to be learning
English as a foreign language. Someone who learns English in a setting in
which the language is necessary for everyday life (for example, an immigrant
learning English in the US) or in a country in which English plays
an important role in education, business, and government (for example in
Singapore, the Philippines, India, and Nigeria) is learning English as a
second language.
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