A novel view of how English might or should be modelled at the turn of the millennium – followed by some solicited comments

No abstract

Perspectives on an emerging variety on the mainland of Europe, from commentators in Sweden, Austria and England.

This article speculates about the possible effects of the Brexit process on the status and functions of English in the European Union (EU). One issue here is whether Brexit will result in the weakening of the status of English within the Union, or whether this process will, ironically, strengthen the power of English as the principal working language of the EU, as well as the primary L2 among Europeans. One possibility here is that the exit of Britain from the Union will clear the sociolinguistic space for the emergence of an authentic European English, used by members of the EU as a 'second language' or (even) a quasi-Outer Circle English, serving the needs of the European Union as the common link language for administration and cooperation between member states.

A reply to commentators on ‘International English in the global village’ (ET58, Apr 99) and further thoughts on a contentious issue