Expanding on Englishes: A symposium

In this Symposium entitled ‘Expanding on Englishes’, four contributors discuss the sociolinguistic profiles of lesser‐known countries from a world Englishes perspective. The contributions for this symposium describe the Englishes of Iran, Nepal, Turkey, and Vietnam. These four accounts of the social and linguistic features of English in these countries highlight the challenges of identifying these (and other such) countries as either Inner or Outer Circle territories. This realization indicates that broadening our understanding of the complexities of the diffusion, status, and roles of English requires the importance of nuanced use and interpretation of long‐relied upon criteria.