Everything about Braj Kachru totally explained
Braj Kachru was born around 1932 in
Kashmir. He is a scholar of different varieties of
World English and of
Kashmiri. His work is in the field of
English linguistics.
The circles of English
To better understand the use of English in different countries, Kachru conceived the idea of three concentric circles of the language.
The “inner circle” represents the traditional bases of English: the
United Kingdom, the
United States,
Australia,
New Zealand,
Ireland,
Malta, anglophone
Canada and
South Africa, and some of
Caribbean territories. The total number of
English speakers in the inner circle is as high as 380 million, of whom some 120 million are outside the
United States.
Next comes the “outer circle,” which includes countries where English isn't an
official language, but is important for historical reasons (for example the
British Empire) and plays a part in the nation’s institutions. This circle includes
India,
Nigeria, the
Philippines,
Bangladesh,
Pakistan,
Malaysia,
Tanzania,
Kenya, non-Anglophone South Africa and Canada, etc. The total number of English speakers in the outer circle is estimated to range from 150 million to 300 million.
Finally, the “expanding circle” encompasses those countries where English plays no historical or governmental role, but where it's nevertheless widely used as a
foreign language or
lingua franca. This includes much of the rest of the world's population:
China,
Russia,
Japan, most of
Europe,
Korea,
Egypt,
Indonesia, etc. The total in this expanding circle is the most difficult to estimate, especially because English may be employed for specific, limited purposes, usually
business English. The estimates of these users range from 100 million to one billion.
The inner circle (UK, USA,etc.) is 'norm-providing'. That means that English language
norms are developed in these countries - English is the
first language there. The outer circle (mainly
New Commonwealth countries) is 'norm-developing'. The outer circle (much of the rest of the world) is 'norm-dependent', because it relies on the standards set by native speakers in the inner circe.
Personal
He is the father of
Shamit Kachru, a
string theorist.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Braj Kachru'.
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