European Englishes

Abstract

The English language has followed both familiar and unfamiliar paths in the European context. After a brief overview of the growing presence of the language on the continent, such paths are compared against world Englishes models which have been used for mapping the global spread of English. Categorization challenges, and their implications for the European Union, are identified and discussed. Despite Brexit and its attendant uncertainty, the future looks promising. Research prospects (including methodological ones), agendas, and avenues are put forward in the final sections to contribute to mapping the new, unfamiliar paths English is following in Europe.