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29 - World Englishes and Transnationalism

from Part IV - Current Challenges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2019

By
Brook Bolander
Edited by
Daniel Schreier ,
Marianne Hundt  and
Edgar W. Schneider
Daniel Schreier
Affiliation:
Universität Zürich
Marianne Hundt
Affiliation:
Universität Zürich
Edgar W. Schneider
Affiliation:
Universität Regensburg, Germany
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Summary

This chapter explores the relevance of the sociolinguistic study of transnationalism for research on World Englishes (WEs) via a review of core literature and examples of metatheoretical and empirical scholarship in sociolinguistics. In doing so, the chapter integrates discussion of research on transnationalism, which explicitly positions itself within a WEs framework, as well as research on transnationalism with a focus on English that has implications for WEs research. Before delineating a series of research trajectories, the chapter argues for the need to first recognize and attempt to do justice to the polysemy of transnationalism. Against this backdrop, it then addresses implications for WEs research of a shift away from “methodological nationalism” to transnationalism, particularly given the similarities between criticisms of “methodological nationalism” and criticisms of WEs research. Turning then to metatheoretical and empirical research on language and transnationalism from a sociolinguistic perspective, the bulk of the chapter reflects on how a transnational perspective might inform WEs research.

Keywords

transnationalismWorld Englishes (WEs)sociolinguisticsthe polysemy of transnationalismconceptual claritymethodological nationalismmetatheoretical discussionempirical research
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of World Englishes , pp. 676 - 701
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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