This new edition of Exploring World Englishes surveys varieties of English existing within the world today, and the debates and controversies surrounding its present forms, functions and status in diverse world contexts.This book examines how English evolved to become ‘the global language’ and looks at the political and cultural history that influenced this evolution. Now in its second edition, this popular text has been substantially revised and updated to reflect the rapid developments in this area, including areas such as decolonisation, multilingualism and translanguaging, along with English as a Lingua Franca and its consequences for education. Beginning with a discussion of real-life challenges relating to World Englishes that are faced by language professionals – particularly in the contexts of language education and language planning – the book explores and illustrates the ways in which the actual use and management of English, as well as the beliefs and ideologies associated with it, play an increasingly important role in contemporary globalised society.Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics is a series of introductory level textbooks covering the core topics in Applied Linguistics, primarily designed for those beginning postgraduate studies, or taking an introductory MA course as well as advanced undergraduates. Titles in the series are also ideal for language professionals returning to academic study.