English today is a truly global language which plays an important role in international communication, trade, diplomacy, sport, science, technology and culture. One of the consequences of the global predominance of English is that non-native speakers of English now outnumber native speakers. The enormous diversity in the way English is spoken around the world makes it difficult to determine a common set of norms. The need to identify with the local culture often comes into conflict with the need to be understood internationally and creates a complex picture of English diversity.

This collection of essays by internationally renowned academics brings together different theoretical perspectives that reflect this debate on norms. The first section examines different conceptions of English as an international language, looking at world Englishes, English as a lingua franca, and 'standard' English. The second section looks at the pedagogical implications of English as an international language, and addresses such questions as: how can we design a curriculum for teaching English, what methods are most effective for teaching English, and what are the key considerations for the ESL classroom to remain globally relevant? English in the World will be of interest to students and researchers of world Englishes, applied linguistics and English as a second/foreign language.