English in Singapore : Global Competence and Local Realities

Written by two leading scholars who have published extensively in the field of Singapore English and World Englishes, this monograph re-examines issues concerning English in Singapore; rethinks major paradigms and approaches.

Written by two leading scholars who have published extensively in the field of Singapore English and World Englishes, this monograph re-examines issues concerning English in Singapore; rethinks major paradigms and approaches; provides a state-of-the-art documentation of aspects of glocalization of English in Singapore; a fully up to date bibliography of key references in the field; and breaks new ground on the existing research. The chapters of the book fit into six broad categories, namely theoretical considerations, global competencies, local realities, global-local interface, current research and future directions and a bibliography. Even though English in Singapore was traditionally classified within the Kachruvian circle as being an Outer Circle variety where English is supposed to be a second language (ESL), the use and development of English in present-day Singapore indicate that it is neither a native, second or foreign language. It is thus struggling to find its place within the traditionally established paradigms concerning the spread of English around the world. Through new empirical data and analysis, the authors propose a new model to account for variation in Singapore English and show evidence of its positioning in existing paradigms explaining the spread of English worldwide. This book will be a welcome update on the state of English in Singapore today and chart future directions for further research for scholars and academics in Linguistics and the study of the English Language.