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The evolutionary dynamics of postcolonial Englishes: A Hong Kong case study[Note 1. The work described in this paper was wholly supported ...]
Author(s) -
Evans Stephen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of sociolinguistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1467-9841
pISSN - 1360-6441
DOI - 10.1111/josl.12104
Subject(s) - world englishes , linguistics , sociology , dynamics (music) , bridge (graph theory) , identity (music) , indian english , epistemology , history , aesthetics , philosophy , medicine , pedagogy
Schneider's ([Schneider, Edgar W, 2007]) ground‐breaking Dynamic Model is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and coherent theory to account for the evolution of postcolonial Englishes, but has yet to be validated by evidence from detailed historical research. This article seeks to bridge this gap by presenting an empirically‐grounded case study of the evolution of Hong Kong English based on the four parameters in Schneider's ([Schneider, Edgar W, 2007]) framework, viz. sociopolitical background, identity constructions, sociolinguistic conditions, and linguistic effects. Whereas previous applications of the framework have relied on synchronic data, this study draws on sets of primary data spanning 170 years. These diachronic datasets make it possible to demarcate distinct phases in the use of English in society and the evolution of its community of users. The study casts doubt on the accuracy of Schneider's account of the evolution of Hong Kong English and, more generally, the applicability of the Dynamic Model to Outer Circle contexts.