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Key research themes
1. How do morphosyntactic features vary systematically across different types of English varieties worldwide?
This research theme focuses on identifying and characterizing distinctive morphosyntactic properties across a wide array of English varieties—spanning native (L1), non-native (L2), and English-based pidgins and creoles—evaluating the degree of structural complexity, global areal reach, and diagnostic features specific to variety types and geographic regions. Understanding these dimensions is vital for typological classification of World Englishes and for mapping the linguistic consequences of contact, globalization, and sociolinguistic prestige.
Key finding: Using the electronic World Atlas of Varieties of English (eWAVE) dataset covering 50 L1 and L2 English varieties and 26 pidgins/creoles across seven global regions, the study identified hundreds of non-standard... Read more
Key finding: This edited volume compiles empirical studies employing sociolinguistic and discourse analytic methods to investigate intra- and inter-language, intra- and inter-speaker variation encompassing register, genre, stylistic,... Read more
Key finding: Focusing on lexical stress production variation in English among non-native English teachers from Aceh, Indonesia, this qualitative study found that teachers with 13-15 years of experience produced notably varied stress... Read more
Key finding: This research identifies how pitch accents in English encode different types of focus (information status) within discourse, showing that pitch accent placement is structurally constrained and signals distinct pragmatic... Read more
2. What role do pragmatic markers and discourse strategies play in the emergence and identity of Multicultural London English (MLE)?
This theme investigates the sociolinguistic and pragmatic dimensions of language variation in urban English varieties, particularly in London, focusing on the use and distribution of pragmatic markers (PMs) such as 'innit' and 'you get me'. These markers serve communicative functions including participant engagement, stance-taking, and establishing group identity. Research in this area elucidates how multiethnic community languages form innovative linguistic repertoires that function as symbolic indices of social belonging and linguistic innovation within young, multiethnic urban populations.
Key finding: Analysis of two spoken London English corpora (LIC and COLT) revealed variability in the use of pragmatic markers along dimensions of sex, ethnicity, and residence. The innovative marker 'you get me' was especially frequent... Read more
Key finding: This study demonstrates a high frequency of the indefinite article 'a' occurring before vowel-initial words in spoken London English, in contrast to the Standard English rule favoring 'an'. Social factors such as age,... Read more
3. How do language attitudes and awareness influence perceptions and teaching of English variations across diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds?
This theme explores attitudes towards English language variation, addressing how speakers perceive dialectal, regional, and sociocultural differences in English forms. It examines implications of these attitudes for language teaching, intercultural communication, and policy, emphasizing awareness raising to embrace pluralistic views of English varieties, and resist hierarchization and stigmatization. Incorporating translanguaging practices and acknowledging socio-pragmatic functions of variation supports more inclusive approaches to English instruction and intervarietal comprehension.
Key finding: This conceptual work highlights the coexistence and interrelations among English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), English as an International Language (EIL), and World Englishes (WE), emphasizing functional variation embedded in... Read more
Key finding: Through classroom-based activities, this pedagogical study illustrates how raising students’ awareness of English variations—regional dialects, vocabulary, syntactic constructions, and accents—affects their attitudes and... Read more
Key finding: This article investigates the challenges posed by linguistic variation—especially accents and dialects correlated with physical and social place—in translation of literary texts. It demonstrates that such variations carry... Read more