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Beyond a Politics of the Plural in World Englishes
Author(s) -
Porter Curt
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
tesol journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.468
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 1949-3533
pISSN - 1056-7941
DOI - 10.1002/tesj.160
Subject(s) - transformative learning , plural , politics , dichotomy , sociology , world englishes , variety (cybernetics) , field (mathematics) , linguistics , identification (biology) , frame (networking) , epistemology , political science , pedagogy , law , computer science , philosophy , telecommunications , botany , mathematics , artificial intelligence , pure mathematics , biology
This article explores three recent books related to World Englishes studies and considers ways they overtly and implicitly frame the politics of the field. The author also describes some of his own experiences working with graduate students that suggest a disruption of traditional dichotomies between single standard and pluralistic models of English spread. The author shares some pedagogical materials designed to provoke deeper discussions of the personal and political dimensions of language variety and identification. Finally, he concludes with a call to consider how Canagarajah's notion of translingualism may lead to updated political frameworks that embrace the transformative potential of languages, speakers, and societies.