Global English: a Linguocultural View
Global English: a Linguocultural View

Summary/Abstract: The collocations „Global English‟, „World English‟ and „International English‟ have recently come to designate a culture-free, simplified variety of English used by non-native speakers in diverse international settings. A comparison with any of the established regional varieties of English shows that Global English fails to meet the basic criteria that apply to natural languages. Similarly, if viewed in terms of Wierzbicka’s semantic theory it cannot be said to adequately represent an authentic culture. Since Global English has not come as a result of a steady natural growth and has no geographical area, folklore, or literature of its own, linguistic culturology cannot grant it the status of a natural language. Viewed through Selinker’s concept of the interlanguage, Global English appears to be an umbrella term covering the existing English interlanguages and pidgins used in international communication by non-native speakers of English.

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